2026 | Olive’s helper recently visited The Clover School, a wonderful Montessori school in Toronto. In a Montessori classroom, children learn by exploring and discovering the world at their own pace, with teachers guiding rather than directing.

During a bright morning of classroom read alouds, we visited five different groups. The children did not stay in their chairs. Instead, they gathered on a soft carpet right beside us, settling in close as we opened the pages of Friendlies.

As Dainius Šukys’s 100% human-made watercolour illustrations appeared, the room filled with the little garden cafe and its unusual guests. Fingers pointed and whispers passed from one child to another as they noticed tiny details in the pictures of Rags the cat and Sparky the rat.

“He is funny!” someone said quietly. And then came the most serious question of the morning. “What is your name?”

Moments of shared laughter like that are the real magic of reading together. We cannot wait to visit the students again.

To keep the quiet adventures going in your own classroom or at home, you can download our free 7-Page Activity Pack filled with puzzles, drawing prompts, and little discoveries.