• Age: 5 to 8
• Grade: k to 3
• Reading age: 6 to 8

Walking with her mother on the way home from school one day, Lily runs straight into a gruff and untidy-looking man selling papers on the street. Lily is afraid of the man, but when the weather turns cold, she starts to see the Paper Man differently—she sees his bare toes through the holes in his boots and his thin shirt through the holes in his coat. As she lies in her cozy bed at night, she wonders how the Paper Man stays warm. Then Lily comes up with a wonderful idea – she’ll make him a gift of warm clothes.

Rebecca Upjohn has worked as an architectural photographer, sheep farmhand, bookstore helper, and more recently a writer and film producer for an independent short film for children called The Go Cart. Rebecca lives in Toronto with her husband, Don and their two sons, Harris and Emmett. The author of the picture books Lily and the Paper Man and Patrick’s Wish, she is interested in characters who reach out to help others. She divides her time between New Hampshire and Ontario.

Rebecca Upjohn's profile page

Renné Benoit is living her childhood dream of being an artist. Trained in graphic design, she is the award-winning illustrator of more than 15 books for children. Her awards include the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award for Children's Literature for Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion; the OLA Silver Birch Express Award for The Secret of the Village Fool; and the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize for both Fraser Bear and Goodbye to Griffith Street. The latter was also nominated for the Amelia Frances Howard Gibbon Award. Big City Bees was nominated for the Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Illustration, and A Year of Borrowed Men was a finalist for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, among others. Renné lives in St. Thomas, Ontario.

 

Renné Benoit's profile page

• Winner, ForeWord Book of the Year Award

"The book is neither saccharin nor preachy and avoids clichés, like one person can 'make a difference.'"

Counterpoise

"This tale is perfect for reminding children about helping those less fortunate than themselves."

The Chronicle Herald

"Colorful unframed pictures, created in line and watercolor, juxtapose the ragged paper man on the sidewalk with Lily, her snug home, and her fun in the rain and snow. The compassionate, realistic story will involve preschoolers, who may recognize not only that the joy of stormy weather depends on having shelter but also that they can do something besides avert their eyes from someone else’s suffering."

Booklist

"This sensitive, gentle tale with its bright, visceral illustrations is about homelessness and one child's reaction to the reality of it."

The Globe and Mail

"A gentle story about the value of compassion."

Midwest Book Review

A thoughtful story of a child's initial encounter with the existence of poverty and homelessness.

ForeWord Magazine

"The sensitive text and matching illustrations blend well to create a story of making a positive difference in our world today."

CM Magazine

"Of course poverty and the other social ills that lead to homelessness can't be solved with one bag of clothes, but Upjohn's straightforward tale and Benoit's nicely unromantic illustrations give kids some ideas for practical action. The story's a good reminder that even in the post-holiday season, the world needs generosity and sympathy of spirit."

Toronto Star

"Young readers will find much to discuss as they evaluate this thoughtful story of a small child’s initial encounter with the existence of poverty and homelessness. The realistic and detailed watercolor illustrations capture Lily’s emotional journey from fear to confusion to determined resolve to improve the life of the Paper Man, whose name, she learns, is Ray...Like Eve Bunting’s classic Fly Away Home, Lily’s story makes an excellent starting point for discussions of poverty and helping others, and the age of the main character and the gentle, brightly colored illustrations add to the appeal of this story for the very young, who, like Lily, may need adult help in voicing their concerns about injustices they notice in the world."

Foreword Magazine

"Lily and the Paper Man is an absolutely charming winter tale that will warm your heart as the cold winds blow the October cold out and welcome the November freeze in... I would give it six stars if I could but for now I shall have to content myself with five...Hopefully it will inspire others to be just as kind and generous to those less fortunate as Lily was to the Paper Man."

Sarah's Stars

"The emotion and candor captured by this story are brought to life in Benoit’s soft yet bright watercolors."

Canadian Children's Book News

"This story is very moving. Make sure you have a box of tissues handy so that you can furtively wipe your teary eyes while reading this book to your child!"

Kidding Around Toronto

Lily and the Paper Man

Lily lives in a neighborhood where everyone is friendly and familiar. But that all changes when she crashes straight into a homeless man selling newspapers on the street. Terrified by his bedraggled appearance and growling voice, Lily avoids him from that day on… until the first snow fall. Then Lily starts to notice just how cold he looks in the icy winter air, shuffling from foot-to-foot with his bright red ears and thin, torn clothes, and slowly she realizes that she can do something to help.

In her debut picture book, Lily and the Paper Man, Rebecca Upjohn does a remarkable job of realistically portraying an important social issue through the eyes of a child. Lily’s candid observations, innocent questions, and genuine empathy transform a nameless and threatening stranger into a member of the community. Engaging, heartwarming and sincere, this story unobtrusively delivers a message of shared human compassion, while showing readers of all ages how a single child can make a difference.

The emotion and candor captured by this story are beautifully brought to life in Renné Benoit’s soft yet bright watercolors. Benoit’s portraits add another layer to the text, brilliantly capturing the characters’ subtle emotions.

Lily and the Paper Man is a great choice for parents and teachers alike in opening the conversation on, or merely drawing attention to, this important but difficult topic.

Lily and the Paper Man

A young girl encounters a homeless man living near her home. After overcoming her initial fear, she feels compassion and helps him by giving him warm clothes.