A New House for Charlie

Charlie, like all small snails, lives in a shell. And since this two-in-one protective cover is strapped onto his back, Charlie carries his home with him everywhere. One day, while having a snail race with his friends?as snails like to do?there’s a terrible accident. As Charlie nears the finish line, the misplaced shoe of a little boy running through the garden comes down and breaks his shell. Charlie’s shell?and his home?are completely destroyed. To make matters worse, winter is coming, and Charlie has nowhere to go. Charlie’s friends try to help him find a new home, but none seem to fit just right: they are too hard, too sticky, too sharp, or too flimsy. Will someone be able to help Charlie find a new home before winter?

Featuring a story of friendship from author and illustrator Doris Lecher, A New House for Charlie teaches children about helping others and showing compassion and empathy when hurting another person, even if unintentionally.

Doris Lecher is a children’s author and illustrator. Lecher studied art and illustration at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City, and over the years she has worked as a painter, writer, and theater actress. She has written seven picture books, the first of which was Angelita’s Magic Yarn. Lecher lives in Basel, Switzerland.