Aunt Pearl

Acclaimed author Monica Kulling brings sensitivity to this bittersweet portrayal of a loving family affected by homelessness, beautifully illustrated in Irene Luxbacher's rich collage style.

Aunt Pearl arrives one day pushing a shopping cart full of her worldly goods. Her sister Rose has invited her to come live with her family.

Six-year-old Marta is happy to meet her aunt, who takes her out to look for treasure on garbage day, and who shows her camp group how to decorate a coffee table with bottle caps. But almost immediately, Pearl and Rose start to clash -- over Pearl's belongings crammed into the house, and over Rose's household rules. As the weeks pass, Pearl grows quieter and more withdrawn, until, one morning, she is gone.

Acclaimed author Monica Kulling brings sensitivity to this story about homelessness, family and love, beautifully illustrated in Irene Luxbacher's rich collage style.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.6
Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7
Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)

Monica Kulling is the author of over fifty books for children, including Dr. Jo: How Sara Josephine Baker Saved the Lives of America's Children, illustrated by Julianna Swaney, and On Our Way to Oyster Bay: Mother Jones and Her March for Children's Rights, illustrated by Felicita Sala. She has also written the popular Great Idea series, and her work has been nominated for many awards, including numerous Silver Birch Express and Golden Oak awards. Monica Kulling lives in Toronto.

Irene Luxbacher is a Canadian artist and author. She has received numerous awards and nominations for many of her children's books over the years, but her favourite nods of approval come from readers who share the remarkable art they've made after reading one of her books. She wrote and illustrated the acclaimed picture books Deep Underwater and Mr. Frank. Irene was also honored to illustrate Malaika's Costume and its sequel, Malaika's Winter Carnival, by the talented Nadia L. Hohn. She lives in Toronto with her family who keep her very busy because she loves them and worries about them constantly.