Robert DeVargas

Robert is a children's book author based in Toronto. His debut picture book, The Bear in the Big City, is the story of Barry — a wide-eyed wanderer who feels too big for the place he's landed in, and the small friend who shows him that fitting in was never the point.

The watercolor world of Barry and Lily is brought to life by Colleen C. Coggins, whose loose line work and soft washes give the book its warmth. It's a story for anyone who's ever felt a little out of place, and for anyone who's ever been the friend who made the world feel a little smaller.