Who is Numada from Deep River and what is their importance?

Numada is a writer of children's stories with talking animals as characters. As a boy, Numada has a dog named Blackie, whom he shares all his troubles with. Numada's only close connections during his life are with animals, who are the friends and companions that he can confide in. When he is an adult, Numada has a hornbill bird, who is another companion, but he must give up the hornbill when he becomes ill with tuberculosis.