PUBLISHED WORK
TOUCHING GRASS
Tristen would do anything to avoid going outside. The bugs sting, the snakes are poisonous, the heat will kill you if the cold doesn't, and bodies of water? Forget it. Tristen likes it best indoors, deep in his online world where it's safe, with his online friends.
But Tristen is in trouble at school again and his mom believes the answer is to get Tristen off the games and in touch with nature and his Dene roots. This means Tristen has to spend a week to a culture camp in the wilderness. It's his worst nightmare! Tristen has no idea how to do any of the skills the other kids seem to do easily. But soon, with some surprising new friends and a few patient teachers, and a little help from technology, Tristen begins to think he might be able to hack this nature stuff after all!
AUTHOR: KRISTY JACKSON
ILLUSTRATOR: RHAEL MCGREGOR
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 9tH 2025, by HARPER COLLINS
CHARLOTTE’S NEW MOCCASIONS
Charlotte has outgrown her moccasins, so she and her Mom head to Grandma's for new ones. Grandma teaches Charlotte how to make her new mocs step-by-step, and she learns a valuable skill from her beloved elder in this heartwarming multigenerational story.
AUTHOR: Jenn Moudahi
ILLUSTRATOR: RHAEL MCGREGOR
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 2025, by Penguin Random house
MORTIFIED
It’s nothing short of a catastrophe when someone secretly signs up Belinda Houle, the school’s shyest kid, to audition for a play. Belinda turns to Sally—her unflappable best friend and resident witch—for help. Belinda doesn’t believe in magic, but if Sally says she has a spell for confidence...well, it couldn’t hurt to try it. Could it? What follows the spell is a series of disasters so disastrous they would have been funny—if only they weren’t happening to Belinda! Can she break the curse before the dreamy Ricky Daniels takes notice of her crooked wig?
AUTHOR: KRISTY JACKSON
ILLUSTRATOR: RHAEL MCGREGOR
PUBLISHED MAY 21st 2024, by HARPER COLLINS
SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S AWARD FOR YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE SHORTLISTED FOR THE FOREST OF READING SILVER BIRCH AWARD
LITTLE BY LITTLE
Michael might be young, but he’s got a big heart and a strong sense of right and wrong. He knows it’s right to help people when they need it—but what can he do when so many people need help?
When Michael finds out about an upcoming youth conference, he sees his chance to learn more about helping others. But when he gets to the conference, he’s the youngest person there! And the speaker on stage is saying things about his community that aren’t true. Will Michael be brave enough to use his voice to stand up for what he knows is right?
AUTHOR: SONYA BALLANTYNE
ILLUSTRATOR: RHAEL MCGREGOR
LETTERER: TOBEN RACICOT
PUBLISHED AUGUST 2024, by HIGHWATER PRESS
SHORTLISTED FOR THE FOREST OF READING YELLOW CEDAR AWARD
Winner of Top Ten titles for the Ontario Library Association’s Best Bets of 2024, in the non-fiction catagory
THE unbeatable Sonya ballantyne
Before she was a successful writer, Sonya Ballantyne was just another kid growing up on the rez, searching for her place in the world. Her love of comics, fantasy novels, movies, and all things geeky helped her understand her life at school, her relationships with her family, and her identity. But growing up wasn’t easy and Sonya faced racism and bullying at school. Sonya takes the lessons from superhero comics to be brave in the face of adversity, to grow from strife, and to keep pushing forward towards her dreams. How did she find her way to the other side and live to tell the tale?
ANNOUNCED FUTURE RELEASES
AUTHOR: SONYA BALLANTYNE
PENCILS & INKS: RHAEL MCGREGOR
COLOUR: AZBY WHITECALF
LETTERER: KIELAMEL SIBAL
EXPECTED TO PUBLISH MARCH 2026, WITH HIGHWATER PRESS
DREAMS: VISIONS FROM THE FIRE
Ready for adventure, Damon, his mom Marnie, and Journey take a road trip out to Kehewin Cree Nation to attend a Sweat Ceremony and a Powwow, as well as reconnect with family.
When Marnie learns of Damon's plan to meet up with his estranged father, the news sends shockwaves through the group. But Damon isn’t the only one keeping secrets. As Damon stumbles into a vision quest, he’ll discover more than he bargained for about his own history and the history his mother would prefer he never found out.
AUTHOR: Wanda John-Kehewin
PENCILS: nicole marie burton
INKS: RYAN HOWE
COLOUR: RHAEL MCGREGOR
LETTERER: KIELAMEL SIBAL
EXPECTED TO PUBLISH FEBRUARY 2026, WITH HIGHWATER PRESS