A boy, a bird and a beaver build a shelter out of driftwood and whatever else the shore gives them, in Emily Lex's soft watercolour world of pale skies and warm sand. Build is written and illustrated by Emily Lex, and it carries her whole visual signature: plenty of white space, small brown creatures, and a page that a two-year-old will sit still for.

Written for children ages 3 to 6, the story is equal parts delightful and meaningful — a gentle way into a bigger conversation about the gifts children are made with and the wonderful things they are meant to build. Hardcover, and one of those read-it-again books that ends up on the nightstand rather than the shelf.