Over the Shop story concept by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Qin Leng; Candlewick Press, 2021.

Those who experience this wordless book filled to the brim with hope, optimism, and undaunted determination, will cheer on the little girl with a big heart as she drives the transformation of her rundown home and ultimately her neighborhood.

Why this Book? Why will it matter to kids?

By means of expertly crafted illustrations, this winning wordless picture book affirms the power of connection, caring actions, determination, cheerfulness, and optimism. A spirited child is the catalyst for change in her home environment and ultimately her neighborhood, which grows to become an inclusive, thriving, and welcoming family community.

Levels and Layers of Learning

Grade level: Pre-K-Grade 3

Social-Emotional Learning Themes
Acceptance, community, compassion, connection, creativity, diligence, effort, empathy, encouragement, fortitude, inclusion, inspiration, passion, perseverance, persistence, perspective, resilience, resourcefulness, respect, self-assurance, self-awareness, self-reliance, tenacity, understanding

Content Area Connections
Social Studies, ELA

Illustration © Qin Leng

Using This Book in the Classroom

Hit the Ground Running
Ready Resources for Educators, Homeschoolers, and Parents

“Reading” this story–or any wordless picture book–requires closely studying the pictures to interpret meaning and comprehend the plot, theme, and sequence of events leading to the resolution. Wordless picture books build visual literacy. Dive into a study of Qin’s decisions regarding use of color, absence of color, size, proportions, paneling, shadowing, space, and pacing. Note the drawings on the flyleaves at the front and back of the book.

Imagine what the little girl, the grandparent, and the other characters (including the cat!) see, hear, smell, feel, and think.

Consider how JonArno in his concept for this story, and Qin in her illustrations, endeavored to create the shop and the space over the shop as backdrops to the story they tell.

In Over the Shop, students will note moments in which Qin has visually represented evolving growth and change of heart. Discuss with students.

For more on using wordless picture books with students, consider the following resources:

Using Wordless Picture Books in the Classroom

A Guide to Reading Wordless Picture Books with Children 

Write Away!
Ideas to prompt writing

Choose a favorite page in the book and write captions for the illustrations.

Write about how the little girl changes her home and her neighborhood. 

What is your favorite illustration? Why?

What is your favorite part of the story?

What do you think happens after the story ends?

Imagine you are one of the characters in the story. How do you feel at the beginning of the story? How do you feel at the end? What changed the way you feel?

Illustration © Qin Leng

Poetry Break
Related poetry to recite before or following the reading of this book

Poetry breaks fit perfectly into brief moments in the day—from opening or closing the day to lining up for lunch; from zipping up backpacks and jackets to transitioning from one subject to the next. Reading a poem typically takes less than a minute, yet it can introduce or reinforce a concept, celebrate language, exemplify rhythm, enhance vocabulary, expand understanding, increase attention span, initiate reflection, or summon a giggle. And, poetry soothes the spirit.

Pair Over the Shop with poems about community and neighborhoods. Suggestions include:

• Amazing Faces poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Chris Soentpiet
• “What Is An Intersection?”  by Mahogany L. Browne and Olivia Gatwood; Woke by Mahogany L. Browne with Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood, illustrated by Theodore Taylor III 

And Then There’s This…
Enrichment activities, related books, online resources, craft projects, and ideas for further study

Additional Recommended Wordless Picture Books:

• a day, a dog by Gabrielle Vincent
• Anno’s Journey by Mitsumasa Anno
• Art & Max by David Wiesner
• Bus Ride by Marianne Dubuc
• Dawn by Uri Shulevitz
• The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee
• Field Trip to the Moon by John Hare
• Float by Daniel Miyarea
• Fly! by Mark Teague
• Flotsam by David Wiesner 
• Here I Am story by Patti Kim, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez
• Journey by Aaron Becker (See also: Quest and Return)
• Look! Look! Look! by Tana Hoban
• Mirror by Jeannie Baker 
• Once Upon A Banana by Jennifer Armstrong, illustrated by David Small
• Oscar’s Tower of Flowers by Lauren Tobia
• Rain by Peter Spier
• Round Trip by Ann Jonas
• Sail Away by Donald Crews
• Sidewalk Circus presented by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
• Stormy: a story about finding a forever home by Guojing
• The Red Book by Barbara Lehman 
• Time Flies by Eric Rohmann
• Trainstop by Barbara Lehman
• Tuesday by David Wiesner 
• Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole 
• Wait by Antoinette Portis
• Wave by Suzy Lee

Meet the Illustrator

Qin Leng (pronounced chin leng) lives and works as a designer and illustrator in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She graduated from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema and has received many awards for her animated short films and artwork. She has illustrated over 40 titles with publishers in the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and China. Her picture books include Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki (APALA Award, Governor General’s Literary Award finalist), Skinnamarink (Sharon Lois and Bram and Randi Hampson) and I Am Small, which Qin has written and illustrated. Visit her website to learn more.

Backstory: Q & A with Qin Leng

Qin was gracious in giving of her time to answer a few questions about the creation of the art for Over the Shop and about her career creating books for children.

Judy Bradbury: Explain the process of creating this wordless book based on poet, children’s, and adult author JonArno Lawson’s story concept.

Qin Leng: This was my very first wordless picture book, a dream come true. I was provided with a two page long ‘manuscript’ describing the idea behind Over the Shop. I found JonArno to be pretty visual in his writing process. He was very helpful in including detailed descriptions of scenes he had in mind, some key elements, and a basic skeleton I could work and build from.

JB: Tell about one hurdle you experienced in the creation of Over the Shop or provide a memorable (or humorous!) anecdote related to the creation of this book.

QL: Oftentimes, when I am working on a new book, I am used to having the text already broken up nicely per page in a temporary template. So working on Over the Shop was definitely a challenge to figure out the right flow and pacing.

For instance, I had no real way of predicting how many pages the book would actually have. I prepared a storyboard that was quite lengthy and worked closely with the editor at Candlewick and the author to trim down the fat.

JB: What did you learn from illustrating Over the Shop?

QL: The format of the book was a complete change from what I have been used to up until now. For a long time, I have wanted to work on a graphic novel. In a way, a wordless picture book is this perfect blend between the traditional picture book format and graphic novels. Without the words to help the reader follow the story, I now have to use panels, depict passage of time, and think about pacing to best tell the progression of events.

JB: What would surprise readers to learn about you or about the illustrating of Over the Shop?

QL: The shop in Over the Shop was inspired by some of the architecture in France, where I grew up. I was always attracted to these old buildings, the windows with interesting shapes–rounded tops–and their beautiful ornate details. I later moved to Montreal and you see these same types of buildings in Old Montreal and parts of the city. Much later, after we wrapped up the book, JonArno sent me a quick message wondering where I drew inspiration for the look of the shop. He sent me a photograph of an old building he would walk by everyday when he used to study at McGill University in Montreal, which gave him the idea for the book. And sure enough, the photograph showed one of those typical European style architectures. A small building, beautiful windows with ornate details. I was happily surprised that we both somehow had the same picture in mind for the shop.

JB: One of the themes in this picture book is that friendships and a sense of family can grow over time, especially when nurtured and honored. How did you decide what to emphasize and how to convey the underlying themes in this heartwarming contemporary tale?

QL: I always put a big importance in telling side stories in my books. Besides the main character, what else is happening on the page? The cat falls in that train of thought. His character was actually a direct suggestion from JonArno and I was so glad we thought alike. It was important to me to show the growing change of the grandparent towards strangers and his perspective on how to better care for his shop and therefore be more in tune with his customers and community. The cat, alongside the grandparent, is undergoing the same change. He starts off pretty mangy and difficult to approach, but with the girl’s persistence and patience, he lets his guard down and becomes a friendly neighborhood kitty.

JB: What do you hope readers will take away from Over the Shop?

QL: Many of us live in apartments and hardly see or talk to our neighbors anymore. This book celebrates the idea that we are all part of a larger group and that we have so much to offer to each other: a helping hand, a little hello, or even a simple smile. I hope that this book will remind readers about the importance of a community.

JB: The terrific picture book that centers on the questions we ask, A Kid is a Kid is a Kid written by Sara O’Leary and illustrated by you (Groundwood Books) is just out this month and has earned the distinction of a Junior Library Guild Selection. What’s up next?

QL: I am excited to say that JonArno and I will have a second wordless book coming up in 2022 in which you may find the characters from Over the Shop, if you pay close attention.

I like to keep myself busy so I also have three ongoing projects lined up for 2022 and 2023 with a few publishers in Canada: Two follow-up books to Skinnamarink with Sharon Lois Bram and Randi (TundraBooks) and a great collaboration with publisher and author Nadine Robert (CommedesGeants) for Trefle: it will be very scenic as the story takes place in the woods near a stream.

About the Author

Over the Shop story concept is by JonArno Lawson. Other children’s books by this poet and author include Sidewalk Flowers (illustrated by Sydney Smith)  and Leap! (illustrated by Josée Bisaillon).

Over to You…

Join the conversation! Offer your thoughts on the featured question related to this month’s post in the comments section below. You are also welcome to post a comment related to this month’s book. Thanks for sharing!

What is your favorite wordless picture book? 

News & Updates

Book 2 in the Cayuga Island Kids series, The Adventure of the Big Fish by the Small Creek, comes out in September! Find more information including the book trailer here. Book 2 is available for pre-order, and I will gladly personalize to your specifications all copies ordered from the publisher. Thank you!

If you live in the Chicago area, you can find me signing Books 1 and 2 in the Cayuga Island Kids series at the Printers Row Lit Fest, the largest free outdoor literary showcase in the Midwest, on September 11 and 12! I’m excited to be joining the Cayuga Island Kids series illustrator Gabriella Vagnoli and YA author Barbara Gregorich (The F Words) at the City of Light Publishing table!

No matter where you live, you can register your kids for a four-week literacy experience offered by Monkeys Read taking place on Tuesday evenings in October. Children will read and discuss The Adventure of the Big Fish by the Small Creek, Book 2 in the Cayuga Island Kids series, and complete a variety of activities. Each participant receives a signed copy of the book, a journal, and more. I’ll join the group virtually in the last session. Find registration details here.

Find information on all my events here.

Final Thought