Shelter

Claire, Céline. Shelter. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2017.
A winter storm is on the way and all the animals are preparing. Gathering wood. Gathering food. Snuggling safely inside their homes. All except two strangers, who are wandering in the snow, seeking shelter. Who will help them? And how do they return that kindness? This beautifully written story – illustrated by Qin Leng – is warmly recommended for readers 5 to 11 years old.

P.S. For readers who like making connections to other stories, how is this picture book like the fable of the lion and the mouse?

More fables

More stories of winter

 

Song of the Old City

Pelliciolli, Anna. Song of the Old City. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2020.
A delightful story set in Istanbul, Turkey. A young girl ventures out into the old city, meeting merchants, making friends, and passing along all the kindnesses shown to her. Cheerful full-page pictures filled with joyous movement illustrate this wonderful picture book highly recommended for readers 6 to 12 years old.

More stories set in countries around the world

More stories told from the second person point of view

What Grew in Larry’s Garden

Alary, Laura. What Grew in Larry’s Garden. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2020.
Gardens bring friendship and understanding. They build goodwill in a world often filled with fear and loneliness. This quietly gentle picture book illustrated by Kass Reich is based on the true story of a Toronto schoolteacher who showed his students how to grow tomato plants and share them with others. “We can figure this out,” he says over and over again to his young neighbour Grace when problems arise. Highly recommended for gardeners of all ages.

More stories of gardens 

More stories about our natural world

More stories of friendship

Picture book memoirs

The Invisible Bear

Metzger, Cécile. The Invisible Bear. Toronto: Tundra, 2020.
Alone. Unseen. Invisible. A quiet solitary existence. Until Madame Odette moves next door and brings colour and sound and friendship into Bear’s life. This softly illustrated picture book – originally published in French – will speak to readers of all ages, especially during this time of Covid-19. 

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