Release: April 1st, 2021
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company
Source: Publisher
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo.
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Critically acclaimed author, illustrator Satoshi Kitamura celebrates the value of human connection in this hopeful picture book about the effect of a smile shared between people.
An East Asian child with a fistful of coins wanders alone through a city’s market and shops, planning to buy himself something for the very first time. An apple pie draws the child to a baker’s window. He sees an appealing model ship but finds it too expensive. Also, a black hat suits him head to toe.
In a flash, though, a sidewalk mishap scatters the money. And the day’s plans fizzle until an encounter with an older Black shopkeeper redeems things. Throughout this simple story, there are shoppers, schoolchildren, and street sellers of various ages all along streets and sidewalks. They are all rendered in intricate ink and wash scenes. There’s plenty to see in the shops, too. There are cakes and rolls, musical instruments, a wall of clocks. Far from ruining the day, the loss allows the child to change focus, from various objects on sale to sharing the shopper’s smiles alone—this one precious thing, Kitamura hints that doesn’t cost any money.
Featuring charming, classic illustrations, Satoshi Kitamura’s The Smile Shop is an absorbing setting for readers to explore themes of independence, self-worth, and the effect of a smile shared between people.
About the Author:
Satoshi Kitamura is an award-winning children’s picture book author and illustrator. As a child, he drew constantly and devoured comics. A self-taught artist, his career began in advertising and magazines before he moved to London. He debuted as a picture book illustrator with Angry Arthur, a 1983 Mother Goose Award-winner for the Most Exciting Newcomer to British Illustration. Since then, he has illustrated over twenty of his own books, plus collaborated on many others.
His books have been translated into more than 20 languages and won awards, including the Mother Goose Award.
The Smile Shop Review:
What immediately appeared to me to the story was the detailed illustrations. I loved the items the author put into the drawings. A child would instantly fall in love with the pages just by the images, even if they are not following the story. Each page has so many details that make you appreciate the author’s hard work into the book. I admire the author for charmingly narrating the story and providing detailed illustrations to complement it. Similarly, the plot also has a sweet message that portrays that even when you face challenges, you can always depend on good friends and people to turn to to make you feel better.
However, my only criticism is the colors. I always prefer children’s books to contain vibrant, bright colors to attract them to pick up the book. While I loved the amount of work put into the illustrations, I was not too fond of the color choices and wished the author had used brighter colors. Nevertheless, the characters and the images are adorable that will still make the reader enjoy the tale.
Overall, “The Smile Shop” is a very nice children’s book that will put a smile on your face after reading.
