Children’s author and illustrator Clare Pernice was at The Toy Tree Saturday, June 1, seated at a table shaded by an awning on the sidewalk outside the store. Under a blue sky on a breezy day, Ms Pernice signed copies of her Circus Girl book collection, now for sale at the toy store on Queen Street.

Often holding events at libraries, schools, and book and toy stores, Ms Pernice also had a table set up with children’s crafts. She likes to “tie-in to being creative,” said the Weston resident. She enjoyed her time at The Toy Tree.

“It’s amazing — a really charming toy store,” she said.

Ms Pernice’s Circus Girl collection includes “playful gifts for little creatives, making them the star of their own circus shows,” according to her flyer. Her books “inspire imaginative play through words and pictures,” it states.