Toby Finds a Home is more than a story, it’s a call to action, inviting children and their communities to come together in the spirit of kindness and service.
We’re excited to announce the release of Toby Finds a Home, a story about homelessness and helping each other, beautifully illustrated by Eva Wrzesinski. In Toby Finds a Home, published by Blanchet House, young readers follow a stray cat as he searches for food, shelter, and friendship. A key tenant of Blanchet House’s mission is to alleviate suffering by building compassion for people experiencing poverty, hunger, and homelessness–an aim this book seeks to achieve.
Toby’s nose carries him to Blanchet House’s free cafe, where he meets a diverse cast of characters who are also experiencing homelessness. Through Toby’s encounters, children learn about the many ways someone can come to find themselves experiencing homelessness, humanizing a complex issue.
Service and Discussion Guides
As homelessness becomes more visible to young children, they may ask tough questions about what they’re seeing. Often parents and educators don’t know what to say. Toby Finds a Home can serve as a starting point for learning about the causes of homelessness. If children feel inspired to help after reading, we have suggestions for ways they can get involved in the guide, Fostering Compassion: 5 Ways for Children to Help Their Neighbors in Need. From hosting clothing drives to packing sack lunches, Blanchet House offers actionable ways children can help those in need, encouraging empathy in a tangible way.
In addition to the service guide, teachers can download a free discussion and classroom activity guide to facilitate deeper conversations and learning.
Toby Finds a Home co-authors, Marie and Julie Showers.
Co-authors Marie and Julie Showers wrote a simple yet meaningful story that invites children to think deeply about the world around them. Parts of the story and its characters were created in collaboration with students from the graphic and design department at Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA). Students include Michele Saiz, Emmy Wilkinson, Mikayal Greg, and Jonah Zayas.
The vibrant illustrations by Portland-based artist Eva Wrzesinski (they/them) bring the characters to life.
Proceeds from the sale of Toby Finds a Home will help fund the Blanchet House’s critical social services and programs.
The book is available for purchase directly from Blanchet House and local bookstores like Green Bean Books, Broadways Books, and Powell’s Books.
Purchase Toby Finds a Home for $19.95 plus shipping.
