All the Faces of Me
Laura Alary
LAURA ALARY (she/her) grew up in Halifax, but spent many summers in Edmonton, where she loved to play with her grandma’s Ukrainian nesting dolls. Laura now lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her three teenage children, and writes stories that make us bigger on the inside. Her recent books include What Grew in Larry’s Garden, Sun in My Tummy, and The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything.
Salini Perera
SALINI PERERA (she/her) has been making art for as long as she can remember. Now, she gets to make art for picture books—a lifelong dream come true. She was born in Sri Lanka, but grew up in Scarborough, Ontario. She lives with her husband Michael and their three cats, Victoria, Albert, and Alice.
A playful yet profound take on the phrase “I contain multitudes”
A little girl admires her nana’s wooden nesting dolls that sit side by side on the windowsill. They all look exactly the same: pink cheeks, frilly aprons, and big smiles—except for the tiniest doll, which is small and unpainted and looks like a raw peanut. The girl thinks the matching smiles of all the other dolls don’t feel quite right. After all, she has many different faces and feelings inside of her, and the dolls should too!
Starting with the peanut, the girl draws new expressions on all the dolls’ faces, from toothy grins to grimaces. But when Nana sees what her granddaughter has done, she’s furious and says the dolls are ruined. The girl disagrees. “If those dolls were me,” she says, “no two would be alike.” When Nana considers what her granddaughter is telling her, she slowly begins to understand. With a hug, and a warning to ask before embarking on any more art projects, Nana proudly returns the dolls to their spot.
This bright, uplifting story about honoring and acknowledging emotions also touches on communication skills, creative self-expression, and conflict resolution. Written with humor and honesty, it reminds readers that, just like nesting dolls, there’s more to us than meets the eye.
Laura Alary, Salini PereraSKU: OB400068n0nn1nWWW | ISBN: 9781771475334
"Alary and Perera do a masterful job ... Sure to generate interesting conversations between children and the adults who read to them, this cozy, relatable book will find a place in homes, preschools, and elementary schools."
- Quill & Quire - STARRED REVIEW"A beautiful story about the complexities of being human."
- Canadian Review of Materials"Thoughtful and lovely."
- Sal's Fiction AddictionCooperative Children’s Book Center Choices selection, 2024
Publication date
October 15, 2023
Number of pages
32
Curriculum
Positive Communication; Compassion; Caring; Respect
Interest age
From 4 to 7