When a storm sweeps Emi’s beloved stuffed fox away from their mountain home, he ends up tattered and alone on a distant shore. A kind old man finds the fox and gives it to his granddaughter, Kiko. As she recovers from an injury of her own, Kiko mends the fox lovingly with golden thread.

As the seasons pass, Kiko cares for the fox as her own. But after discovering his origins, she sets out, with her grandfather’s help, to bring the fox back to its original home. Once together, Emi and Kiko piece together the fox’s journey and find delight in their newly forged connections.

Golden Threads is inspired by the Japanese art form of kintsugi, or golden joinery, where broken pottery is repaired with resin painted gold. Kintsugi values repairing, rather than replacing, believing that the cracks give the broken item its story. This book is also a warm celebration of wabi-sabi, the Japanese idea that there is beauty in things that may be incomplete or imperfect.

Suzanne Del Rizzo has always loved getting her hands messy. She traded her job in scientific research for a career in children’s illustration with her first picture book, Skink on the Brink, which won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award and was a finalist for the Rainforest of Reading Award. Suzanne’s dimensional illustrations use Plasticine, polymer clay, and other mixed media to bring rich texture and imagination to her books. In 2015, looking for resources to explain the Syrian Civil War to her own children, Suzanne came across an article of a boy who took solace in a connection with wild birds at the Za’atari refugee camp. Struck by the universality of a child’s relationship to animals, she began writing My Beautiful Birds. Her distinctive illustrations also grace Sun Dog, a winner of the IODE Jean Throop Book Award, and Before You Were Born, an acclaimed and touching celebration of new life. Suzanne lives in Oakville, Ontario.

Suzanne Del Rizzo's profile page

Miki Sato is a Japanese-Canadian illustrator who uses a variety of different textures and materials to create three-dimensional images. Originally from Ottawa, she moved to Toronto to complete her degree in illustration from the Ontario College of Art and Design. Her first picture books are Golden Threads written by Suzanne Del Rizzo and Snow Days written by Deborah Kerbel.

 

Miki Sato's profile page

• Commended, TD Summer Reading Club Top Recommended Read
• Short-listed, Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
• Short-listed, Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award
• Commended, Best Books for Kids and Teens, starred selection

"[Del Rizzo] reminds her readers that brokenness can lead to finding greater strength, and our imperfections are what make us even more beautiful."

Mighty Village

"With engaging onomatopoeia, lyrical text, and a universal story of enduring friendship, belonging, and the kindness of strangers, Golden Threads will appeal to many readers... Golden Threads is a sweet, tender tale to be pored over and cherished."

Canadian Review of Materials

"The fox’s transformative adventure invites discussion about empathy, how to overcome difficulties, and the idea that one doesn’t need to be perfect to be loved... This book will find an eager audience with readers of all ages."

School Library Journal – STARRED REVIEW

"The little details are full of charm and delight. Readers will want to return to the book again and again."

Sal's Fiction Addiction

"A beautiful story of healing and strength."

Kirkus Reviews

"Golden Threads is softly stunning, visually and in its storytelling...Sweet, kind, and loving, a lovely book about getting lost, healing, and coming home."

University Book Store, WA

"Here author and illustrator combine forces to effortlessly convey the Japanese art of kintsugi... Sato’s illustrations use cut paper to tell this delicate story and they are truly remarkable."

Youth Services Book Review

"An inspiring cross-cultural message showing that our experiences make us stronger."

Booklist – STARRED REVIEW

"Encourages children to find beauty in imperfections and strength in adversity."

Foreword Reviews – STARRED REVIEW