A story for friends near and far, The Little Green Envelope by Gillian Sze and Claudine Crangle is a reminder of the joy that comes from finding something special, addressed just to you, in the mailbox.

The little green envelope has been sitting in a drawer for far too long. It dreams of travel and adventure. When Olive’s best friend moves away, it finally gets it’s chance to travel to new places and bring joy to a special someone.

Gillian Sze has captured the delight and excitement of receiving a letter from a friend in the mailbox. Readers often have friends who move away during our lifetime and technology has served to keep us connected but there is something so incredibly special about receiving a letter in the mail. You know the person on the other end has had to be thoughtful and intentional when taking the time to write, address, stamp and run to the mailbox, all so that you know they are thinking of you. 

I love the nostalgia built into the book. There will be many readers who may not have ever received any personal mail. It will be so wonderful to create a little letter writing project after reading this story. Pair it with Lindsay Zier-Vogle’s Dear Street to extend the letter writing fun! I also love the instructions to make your own envelope on the endpapers so that if you don’t have the perfect envelope for your very special letter, you can make your own.

Claudine Crangle’s illustrations are tactile and textured. I love how she uses paper and cardboard to create the vignettes featured in the story. Her work makes the whole story come to life and will perhaps inspire a little paper art attack!