The Smile Shop

When a boy saves all his pocket money to buy something for the first time, he heads to the very busy marketplace with all its shops and stalls. The boy passes tasty pies and clocks telling different times, toys and books, and many other things that make it hard for him to decide what to buy. Before he can decide, someone bumps into him and nearly all his money goes down a drain. He only has one coin left. it’s not enough to buy anything…except maybe a smile? He walks into a smile shop with very little money, hoping he can buy a smile—even if it’s only a little one. Or is a smile something money cannot buy?

The Smile Shop by Satoshi Kitamura, an award-winning children’s picture book author and illustrator, is a heart-warming parable about the value of human connection. Kitamura’s highly detailed illustrations of the busy marketplace are fun to linger over. With a muted color palette, the boy pops off the page in his bright blue shirt, boots, and red scarf.