The Shelter

As morning breaks, animal families in the forest are enjoying their morning routines in their cozy dens. The moles, foxes, bunnies and birds jump into action to prepare for an oncoming storm. As they huddle in their homes to ride out the storm, the animals see strangers (bears) approaching. The strangers ask for shelter from the storm; however, in fear, all of the families turn them away. One of the little foxes does feel concern for the strangers and offers the bears a lantern. This one act of kindness helps create a warm blanket of trust, which is reciprocated when the fox family finds itself without shelter from the storm.

Céline Claire weaves a lovely tale of kindness and trust for children and families to learn from. As noted in the story, the lantern does not offer shelter, but it does offer comfort for the bears. This is a simple gesture, but one that is the first element in building a new friendship and in exhibiting kindness. As children learn about being respectful to others, they can also learn that sharing kindness comes around.

Qin Leng washes the illustrations with warm forest colours. Each image complements the story with its gentle detail. The Shelter celebrates the global message of kindness and generosity towards others.