Yours in Books

A treetop owl dwelling and a pine tree indie bookshop serve as the loci of this gentle epistolary picture book between exasperated, solitude-seeking Owl T. Fencepost and bespectacled bookseller Bessie Squirrel of Pine: A Bookshop. Falatko adroitly reveals the development of the duo’s relationship through subtle tonal and diction shifts as curmudgeonly Owl, initially intent on leaving the woods due to “all of the new noisy neighborhood children,” slowly begins to accept Bessie’s book recommendations via letter exchange—and subsequently opens up to the woodland community (“Yesterday afternoon, several young creatures knocked upon my door, wanting to ‘hang out,’ as they say”), before the narrative culminates in a sweet surprise. Alongside the letters, Alborozo adds fine-lined illustrations of dot-eyed anthropomorphic animals, rendered in a light-toned, vintage palette. A warmly cheerful homage to how books can kindle bonds, open minds, and unite community. Ages 3–5. (Sept.)