Pownal Street Press is pleased to announce the May 2027 release of Bear and Crane, written by Susanne Coutts and illustrated by Sarah Shortliffe.
Bear and Crane
ISBN: 9781997918189
$22.95 CAD | Hardback
Release Date: May 2027
Bear and Crane is a heart-led picture book about friendship, difference, and the evolving meaning of belonging.
Bear thrives on the order and predictability of his forest routine until Crane arrives, full of movement, ideas, and unfamiliar ways of being. As their differences collide, the forest itself begins to feel the strain, and it is only through an unexpected crisis that both characters come to understand the value of what the other brings.
With gentle neurodiversity cues, Bear and Crane invites young readers and their caregivers into conversations about how there is more than one way to think, more than one way to belong, and champions the idea that communities grow stronger when they make space for both the steady and the spontaneous.
“Bear and Crane is a story that reminds us there is no right way of being,” says PSP founder, Genevieve Loughlin. “It is a call to celebrate the unique qualities that make each of us special.”
About the Author
Susanne Coutts is a mother of three, an educator, and a lifelong storyteller.
As an elementary school teacher, she discovered that stories were one of the best ways to teach lessons, spark meaningful discussions, and help children learn about themselves and others. As someone who often found herself creating structure in the middle of joyful chaos, she understands Bear very well. She is also learning, little by little, to reconnect with her inner Crane. Susanne now works as an author and educational consultant. She lives in Toronto with her husband Duncan and two orange cats. Bear and Crane is her first book.
About the Illustrator
Sarah Shortliffe is an artist, military spouse, and mother in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. She holds a Bachelor’s in Fine Art from Mount Allison and a Master’s in artifact conservation from Queen’s University. She combines watercolour and ink, adding intricate details to juxtapose objects, animals, and scenery with whimsy and fantasy. Sarah teaches and volunteers with 7Arts, a local non-profit, and has illustrated A Very Silly Alphabet, The Wind and Amanda’s Cello, and Prism: A Chameleon Finds His Light.
Pownal Street Press is PEI’s newest publishing house. Women-owned and women-led, friendly, warm and professional: We exist to give rise to brave stories, and to be a light for community and connection. With distribution through Raincoast Books (Canada) and Orca Books (US), Pownal Street Press’ titles have national reach but local heart. For more information about the Press and its books, please visit: www.pownalstreetpress.com.