Now is your chance to order a signed copy of Alma and the Beast!
Alma and the Beast was written and illustrated by Esme Shapiro and published by Tundra Books of Penguin Random House.
Would you like your book to say something special? Feel free to email theesmeshop@gmail.com after purchase with what you would like your book to say.
About the book:
”Alma lives happily in her hairy world, where she can braid the trees, comb the grass, pet the roof and feed her plumpooshkie butterfly. Until one day . . . a hairless, button-nosed beast appears in the garden! At first Alma is scared but when she realizes the beast is lost and misses her hairless home, Alma offers to help her find her way back. As the two take a fantastical journey through the red-headed woods and the bearded mushroom glen to the beast's bald abode, they discover that they are much more alike than different.”
Reviews
“…breathtaking…A sweetly psychedelic mix of Tove Jansson, Van Gogh, and what is now recognizably trademark Shapiro ... Shapiro’s tale is a gentle charmer, plain and simple.” - Quill and quire
“What’s fresh is Shapiro’s distinctive way of making readers consider not only cultural norms, but everything the two have in common.” - Publisher’s weekly
“ a wholly magnificent work that offers up an enchanting story serviced with marvelous kaleidoscopic art.” - wonders in the dark
“…Shapiro has written and drawn a setting like no another…Children want both consistency and adventure, and they will find it in this imaginative celebration of difference.” - Imaginary elevators
“This deceptively simple picture book offers such a delightful way to present an important and timely theme: spending time in each other’s world encourages appreciation and understanding of each other’s culture.” - School Library Connection
“With lessons on friendship, culture, and helping others, and, language and art reminiscent of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, this endearing picture book is richly rewarding…Shapiro invites readers to partake in a cultural exchange between two very different worlds and see how friendship can bloom between unexpected pairs.” - School library journal
“Shapiro’s worlds, both hairy and human, are warmly imaginative, and young readers will love the idea that an entirely new realm might be accessible simply by climbing the right tree.” - Booklist
“The illustrations are very inventive and appealing … the entrancing tale demonstrates how friendship can occur between very different people.” - Resource links
“…Shapiro likes to experiment with perception, the unexpected, playfulness, hand-drawn type, and quirky yet gorgeous artwork where you can see the strokes and seep of watercolors and paint, all with a fantastical quality.” -This Picture Book Life
“ …Readers will find themselves immersed in Alma’s world, journeying from one place to the next…Alma and the Beast is an excellent, profound, and highly entertaining picture book with a meaningful message at its heart. Parents, educators, and librarians will find it a valuable addition to their bookshelves.” - Young Adulting
“Teachers could use this book when discussing differences between people and places and how to make new friends. The illustrations could be used to ignite the imagination for storytelling, writing, or drawing.” - Resource Links