I Am a Thief! - Hardcover

by Abigail Rayner (Author), Molly Ruttan (Illustrator)

When Eliza Jane Murphy--line leader, captain of the worm rescue team--impulsively pockets a sparkly green stone from her classroom's "Exploring Green" display table, her heart crumples.

My heart stopped singing. My letters went wonky. I was too heavy to swing!

I wanted to put it back . . . But what if someone saw?

But when she discovers that nearly everyone in her family took something once in their lives--from her baby brother and mom, to her nana with her sausage-stealing dog--Eliza overcomes her shame to make things right.

A hilarious and heartfelt story about stealing and finding the courage to do the right thing.

Author Biography

Abigail Rayner grew up mostly in England with a couple of years in Greece thrown in. She moved to New York City in her twenties, where she worked as a reporter for British newspapers. Her books, The Backup Bunny (2018) and I Am a Thief (2019) called "Hilarious and sweet" by Kirkus Reviews (starred review), have delighted children. This is her third picture book for NorthSouth Books. She lives in New Jersey, with her husband, two kids, two cats, and lots of tasty gluten-free snacks.

Molly Ruttan is from Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, where she and her twin sister grew up drawing and creating plush toys, board games, and, of course, books! Molly attended Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. She graduated with a BFA in graphic design. Her first picture book for NorthSouth, I Am a Thief (2019) called "Hilarious and sweet" by Kirkus Reviews (starred review), is a delight. She is married to Gabriel Moffat, her childhood sweetheart and a fellow musician. They have three daughters, three dogs, one cat, one rabbit, a garden, and some fish!