The west end just got a cute new children’s bookstore

When Nadia Alam was a kid, every time she announced that she was bored, her mother would point a decisive finger at the family’s bookshelf, sending the message that it held the key to amusement. The habit turned Alam into a lifelong reader who channelled her passion by becoming a children’s book illustrator. Her works include Sarabeth’s Garage by Melanie Florence, about a young girl who takes an unconventional interest in cars, and Many Things at Once by Veera Hiranandani, about a girl learning to accept her mixed Jewish and South Asian identity. Now, Alam is taking her love of reading a step further, opening a bookstore aimed at Toronto’s smallest and most discerning readers.

Nuts and Shells, Alam’s kids’ bookstore, opened at Dundas and Brock just in time for Mother’s Day. The name is a tribute to her parents; Alam’s father passed away about a year ago. “Shelly was my dad’s nickname, and my mom’s name, Zeenat, sounds like ‘zee-nut,’ so it came to me as a cute, earthy image that’s also a homage to them,” she says.

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Inside, the store looks 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.” By September, she plans to host circle time, author visits and other kid-friendly programming.

As for the selection, Nuts and Shells runs the gamut from nostalgic staples like The Very Hungry Caterpillar and anything Robert Munsch to pre-teen graphic novels and YA chapter books. Alam has a soft spot for Canadian illustrators and writers such as Sid Sharp, Melanie Florence and José Lourenço—who’s also a notable Toronto filmmaker. “There’s so much talent right here in Toronto and the rest of Canada,” says Alam. “Half the reason I wanted to open was to support those makers.”

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The neighbourhood has flocked to Nuts and Shells, and Alam says she’s already running low on books to sell and placing new orders daily. Her bookshelves, it seems, are doing their job: keeping Alam’s boredom at bay.