From School Library Journal
Gr 1–3—When Arto's family moves from the cold North to the South for a year, the seven year old is very resistant to the idea. In fact, despite being surrounded by cacti, adobe houses, and sand, he refuses to give up his former garb—wool hat, winter coat, boots, and wooly socks. He spends his days sweating and brooding until a classmate approaches him. Ana's family has moved often, and her knowledge of living in the North connects her to Arto immediately. As the friendship blooms, Arto begins to shed his layers, a great metaphor for opening up to change and new friendship. As the year comes to a close, Arto has mixed feelings about leaving his new home. In the end, he learns that he can take a bit of his Southern life with him. This story will resonate with many children, especially those who have experienced a move. The boldly colored, expressive illustrations adequately reflect the cold Northern climate, with its snow and bulky clothing, and the heat and desert landscape of the South.—Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh, PA
Review
- A Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Book for Kids and Teens, 2015
"Arnaldo's tale of unwelcome feelings and the importance of friendship is nicely paced and gracefully written, and her expressive, mixed-media paintings neatly evoke Arto's journey. Quietly effective."
Kirkus Reviews
"A great metaphor for opening up to change and new friendship ... This story will resonate with many children, especially those who have experienced a move."
School Library Journal
"The fairly lengthy text gives the serious topic its due, while the pencil, watercolor, acrylic, and graphite illustrations convey the beauty of both North and South locales. The emphasis on Arto's clothing is a wonderfully subtle and clever way of depicting his emotional defenses and, as he loses his layers, how he is coming to adjust."
Booklist
"Bright, cheerful illustrations aptly portray the charms of both northern and southern locations. Facial expressions effectively emphasize Arto's feelings. This would be equally effective in one-on-one or group situations, and could help ease transitions for transient students."
Library Media Connection
About the Author
Drawn to illustration by her passion for children’s books, Monica Arnaldo is a graduate of Sheridan College’s Illustration program. She combines a variety of media, including watercolor, pencil, acrylic, and graphite, to create images full of character. She divides her time between Toronto and Montreal.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The North is a very cold place to live.
Arto knew that firsthand: He'd lived there his whole life – and seven years was a long time.
To keep warm up North, you have to wear lots and lots of layers. So every morning before leaving the house, Arto pulled on this thick wool socks, stepped into his snug boots, put on his knitted mittens, wrapped himself in his big red coat, and tugged on his favorite hat.
