I'm afraid, Said the leaf. / You're not alone, Said the tree. But who will comfort a nervous bird, a lonely crab, a lost wolf? How can a horse find warmth, a snail some cheer, a child some rest? Through a series of amusing and soothing exchanges, this deceptively simple and profound picture book depicts different pairings to celebrate interconnectedness and underlines the importance of caring for every living organism to ensure a strong and healthy natural world. I'm Afraid, Said the Leaf invites young readers to understand that we all need each other for support and survival — and that we're all stronger together. (From Tundra Books)

I'm Afraid, Said the Leaf is on the shortlist for the 2024 young people's literature — text Governor General's Award.

Danielle Daniel is a writer and illustrator of settler and Indigenous ancestry living in the traditional territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek (Sudbury, Ont.). Her books include The Dependent, which was shortlisted for the 2017 Northern Lit Award and the picture books Once in a Blue Moon and Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox, which won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and was a finalist for the Blue Spruce Award and First Nation Communities Read Awards. She also illustrated the 2018 Marilyn Baillie Award shortlisted picture book You Hold Me Up, written by Monique Gray Smith.

Matt James is a painter, illustrator and musician whose work has appeared in award-winning books both in Canada and internationally. He won the 2013 Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature — illustration for his picture book The Northwest Passage. His other books include When The Moon Comes, which won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and Nice Try, Charlie!.