I write books for curious and adventurous readers of all ages.

In Stores July 29, 2025!

The Boy Who Became a Parrot: A Foolish Biography of Edward Lear, Who Invented Nonsense, is available now from Enchanted Lion Books, or you can order it from your favorite local indie bookstore. Click here for a sneak peek at more spreads.

"Very well researched and highly factual, this is the kind of informational fiction picture book biography that makes creativity the name of the game." —Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production (A School Library Journal blog)

“A fitting portrait of the creator of nonsensical foolishness… Hill’s writing complements Carlin’s ethereal illustrations, creating a fanciful world full of wonder and nonsensical imagery… A lovingly unique tribute to a master of whimsicality.” —Kirkus Reviews

“‘The Owl and the Pussy-Cat’ has delighted generations of children, and this thoroughgoing picture book biography carefully documents the life of its author, Edward Lear… In this extended, dreamlike examination of a creator who found ways to express his love of the unconventional, Carlin weaves Lear-like scribbles (and some of the artist’s own work) in and around smudged, often ghostly figures, portrayed with various skin tones.” —Publishers Weekly

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! “Surreal and beautiful illustrations help tell the story of Edward Lear. Literature and bird lovers alike will appreciate reading about his busy life.” —Rebecca Roman, NYPL Librarian

Previous Books

  • Neversink

    Lockley Puffin longs to soar. But the unwritten rule among puffins is “Don’t Make Waves.” So Lockley must battle his own insecurities as well as a faction of hat-wearing owls as he tries to save his island home from invasion and starvation. His unlikely allies are his two best friends, a know-it-all walrus named Egbert and a vagrant hummingbird named Ruby.

  • The Vanishing Island

    It’s the Age of Seafaring, and Bren Owen longs for nothing more than to escape his small town for a life of adventure. He gets his wish when a dying sailor bequeaths a strange gift with a hidden message. Cracking the code could change Bren’s fortune, but he’ll have to tie his fate to a mysterious Dutch admiral obsessed with the legend of an island that long ago disappeared from any map.

  • The Dragon's Gate

    In book two of The Vanishing Island trilogy, Bren and his new friend Mouse seek to unravel the mystery of a white jade stone and a map inscribed in bone. Bren just wants to return home. Mouse is determined to find the Dragon’s Gate, connected to her kidnapping as a child. But nothing goes according to plan when they cross paths with Lady Jean Barrett, a charismatic archaeologist with a sense of destiny.

  • The Sea of the Dead

    After the harrowing and life-changing events at the Dragon’s Gate, Bren is more determined than ever to make his way home. But to do so he’ll first have to help an Indian noblewoman bent of reclaiming an ancient power that would help liberate her homeland. The Vanishing Island trilogy concludes with one last adventure into the unknown, where Bren will be forced to confront his deepest fears.