Perfect Shelter

A powerfully told story from Clare Helen Welsh and Åsa Gilland that explores the emotions we feel when someone we love is battling a serious illness.At first, nobody knew. It seemed as if today would be like yesterday forever, the perfect day to build a shelter in the woods. Then, my sister changed – she was more tired than before. More quiet. When we learn that she is sick, really sick, it feels as though a storm has engulfed our whole family. But, we will ride out this storm. And though today may be different from yesterday, today is the perfect day to build a shelter, together.A heartwarming book that sensitively tackles the tough subject of illness with authentic and empathetic tenderness. Much like Michael Rosen’s Sad Book, A Shelter for Sadness or The Building Boy, The Perfect Shelter offers children a way to understand and articulate complex, often overwhelming, emotions.

There is heartbreak and resolution in The Perfect Shelter [...] in which two sisters create a blissful den in the woods. When one sister gets ill, the other feels sad, angry, sometimes overwhelmed – but eventually they make another perfect shelter somewhere new in this hope-filled book.

Clare does her best writing by the sea, which is lucky because she lives with her family in South West England, a stone’s throw away from crashing waves and salty sea air. When Clare isn’t writing stories for children, she is inspiring children to write their own. Åsa Gilland is a Swedish illustrator who lives in Indonesia with her husband, two boys and cats in a little house beneath a gigantic bougainvillea tree. She studied interior design in Italy and spent many years as a graphic designer before deciding to follow her passion for illustrating children’s books.