Over the Shop
In a beautifully detailed wordless picture book, a tumbledown building becomes home sweet home for a found family.
A lonely little girl and her grandparent need to fill the run-down apartment in their building. But taking over the rooms above their shop will mean major renovations for the new occupants, and none of the potential renters can envision the potential of the space – until one special couple shows up. With their ingenuity, the little girl’s big heart, and heaps of hard work, the desperate fixer-upper begins to change in lovely and surprising ways.
In this bustling wordless picture book, JonArno Lawson’s touching story and Qin Leng’s gentle illustrations capture all angles of the building’s transformation, as well as the evolving perspectives of the girl and her grandparent. A wordless picture book that celebrates the power of community, the joys of new friends and the magic that happens when you open your heart, and fill your home with love and joy.
JonArno Lawson is an award-winning poet and writer who is the author of many books for children and adults, including A Day for Sandcastles, illustrated by Qin Leng, which has been nominated for the Carnegie medal, and Footpath Flowers, illustrated by Sydney Smith. He has won the Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Children's Poetry four times and has also won the Governor General's Award for Illustrated Children's Books. He has taught children's poetry at Simmons College and lives in Toronto, Canada, with his family.
Qin Leng is a designer and illustrator of children’s books, including A Day for Sandcastles, illustrated by Qin Leng, which has been nominated for the Carnegie medal. She has received many awards for her animated short films and her artwork. She lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and her son. Find Qin online at qinillustrations.com and on Twitter as @qinleng and Instagram as @qinillustrations.