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.

In this wordless tale, a chosen family forms. . .A few carefully placed pride rainbows make queerness explicit: a barely noticeable rainbow belt; a rainbow hat, tiny in a distance shot; and, finally, an unmistakable (and unprecedented for this shop) rainbow flag hanging outside the business at the very end. Careful readers may deduce that the Asian tenant is a transgender man, signaled through an extremely subtle plot point. Poverty and the child’s early loneliness are subtle too, but warmth never is. A wordless, singing infusion of love and energy into a home. Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A dedication to trans activists and some characters who are nonbinary in dress and clothing make a simple message of love and acceptance resonate subtly. In this wordless book, there is comfort in familiarity, but sometimes a little change can shed new light on everything. . .This wordless story manages to speak volumes. Detailed images fill each page, requiring careful study and observation to understand the entire story. Multiple frames appear on each page, creating a more robust narrative than is often found in picture books. . .This meticulously detailed tale spreads a heartwarming message of renewal, hope, friendship, and compassion. School Library Journal (starred review)
A child helps create community in this wordless tale by Lawson (Over the Rooftops, Under the Moon). . .With a sure line and growing touches of color and adornment as the couple brightens their space, Leng captures the snowball effect of the girl’s and the couple’s efforts. It’s a story about warmth, hospitality, and the way human beings can learn to change at any age. Though it’s resolved with compassion, the grandparent’s initial reluctance may call for some context setting. Publishers Weekly (starred review)
With loosely rendered line and gently mottled texture, the watercolor scenes of the building’s transformation are fascinating and uplifting, a tribute to the partnership of optimism and elbow grease. . . the silent narrative attests to the common weal of a diverse community. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

A girl lives with her grandparent in the back room of a sleepy grocer in this subtle wordless tale about how acceptance
makes neighborhoods brighter. The detailed illustrations show each day starting like those before it: arranging goods,
feeding an alley cat, and waiting to see if anyone will rent the apartment upstairs. There are no takers for the fixer upper—until an enterprising couple moves in, giving the shop and its surroundings new life. At the book’s end, a new
rainbow flag celebrates inclusion.

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.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.