The Reader- Amy Hest

"The reader has a small brown dog and a suitcase that is brown

and a long red sled with a long loopy rope for pulling through deep snow.

His boots are high and very heavy, but he is strong

and his train tracks are impeccably straight.

They are beautiful." 

Two good friends venture out into the snow together.
They climb to the top of a giant hill.
Where they cavort. And make snow angels.
And  picnic on warm drinks and crunchy toast.

Finally, it is time, and the little boy opens his suitcase and draws out a book.
Two Good Friends.

“And the only sound in the world is the sound of the reader 
reading to the very last page...the very last word.”

This is one of those gentle, quiet, and oh-so-perfect picture books.
Perfect for reading to children on a snowy day.
Perfect for putting in a friendship basket.
Perfect for a basket of books about reading.

Perfect for using as a mentor text
for small moments
or beautifully chosen words.

And Lauren Castillo's illustrations?
Those are perfect too.