The Friendship Blanket

Aurelia has left her home, and her beloved grandmother — Abuelita — to move to Canada with her mother. At first she’s excited about her new neighbourhood with the big trees. She loves her room, which Mami says she can paint any colour she wants. And she’s looking forward to starting school and making new friends.

But school isn’t what she expected. Some of her classmates tease her for being different, and she’s left out of schoolyard games. She ends up feeling quite alone. With the help of a blanket Abuelita has given her, and the love it signifies, Aurelia returns to school with a new perspective and makes a true connection.

Inspired by the author’s own experiences, this story is a touching and age-appropriate depiction of what it’s like to experience racism and exclusion, and what it means to find friendship.

LEONARDA CARRANZA est née à San Salvador, au Salvador, et vit maintenant à Brampton, en Ontario. Elle est titulaire d’un doctorat en éducation à la justice sociale de l’Université de Toronto. Son premier album illustré, Abuelita and Me, a été mis en nomination pour le prix Blue Spruce et a gagné le prix International Latino Book en 2022.