What You Need to Be Warm

A New York Times bestseller!

During the coldest season, when the world feels scary—what do you remember about being warm?

Baked potatoes.

Trust.

A kettle on the stove.

Blankets.

A smile.

And, most of all, the reassurance that you belong.

In his powerful and moving poem, featuring illustrations from thirteen extraordinary artists, bestselling author and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Neil Gaiman draws together many different memories to answer the question, what do you need to be warm?

"Highly recommended. Useful in art or language arts classes, this title would also serve as a gentle but challenging, introduction to social studies or current events units on the contemporary refugee crisis or migration throughout history." - School Library Journal

"Envisioning warmth as both a baked potato and a blanket knit by a loved one, the thoughtful free verse lines build to a powerful final expression: 'You have the right to be here.'" - Publishers Weekly

"A moving meditation on what it means to be safe and warm in a difficult world." - Booklist

"A warm, welcoming invitation to reflect upon the experiences of warmth and comfort, and, perhaps more relevant to the author’s goal, the idea of safety. The tone moves through whimsical reverence, quiet coziness, and somber grief, celebrating that which warms the body and heart while acknowledging how delicate and easily snuffed out those sources are." - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books