Nuts & Shells Bookshop, a children's bookstore, has opened in Toronto, Ont., Canada. Located at 1596 Dundas St. W. in Toronto's Little Portugal neighborhood, Nuts & Shells carries a range of children's books, from longtime classics to more recent works from local authors and illustrators. The store's event plans include book clubs for parents as well as after-school programming for students, TorontoToday reported.
Store owner Nadia Alam is a children's book illustrator whose books include The House Without Lights (written by Reem Faruqi) and The Wishing Machine (written by Jonathan Hillman). The bookstore's name is based on her parents' nicknames, and she told TorontoToday she is opening the store in honor of her father, who died about a year ago.
Toronto Life described the store as looking "like a reading nook built by IKEA-savvy woodland creatures. A bright-yellow front display highlights recommended reads, and wooden shelves stretch toward a whimsical ceiling, where a tableau of fake pigeons and chickadees sit curled in nests, reading the classics. 'I went for maximum cozy in the shop,' says Alam. 'I wanted a touch of whimsy but ultimately a relaxing third space for kids to hang out in after school.' "