TOGETHER STREET by Clare Helen Welsh & Robyn Wilson-Owen

12 October 2026

We’re excited to welcome Clare Helen Welsh to Story Snug to talk about TOGETHER STREET The Street We Call Home, a heartwarming new picture book illustrated by Robyn Wilson-Owen and inspired by the work of The McAslan Family Trust.

The Story: It’s moving day for Nell and she’s introduced to the area by new friend, Ash. There are many different types of homes in Together Street including an eco house, a barge, a shelter for people going through hard times, a block of flats and a camper van.

There’s a wonderful community spirit in Together Street, everybody is friendly, helpful and busy with a secret project that leads to a surprise for Nell and her family at the end of the book.

Warmth, belonging and a sense of inclusion stems from every page – wherever a character lives they all belong to this busy, welcoming community.

Robyn Wilson-Owen’s pastel coloured illustrations lead us through the street and introduce us to its residents, they include so many little details and speech bubbles on each page add joy and enthusiasm to the text. We love the double spread showing the food bank, the library, the school and the care home and it’s fun to rotate the book to look at the very tall block of flats and its inhabitants.

There are so many ways that TOGETHER STREET could be used to stimulate discussions at home and in the classroom, from the type of home that each child lives in, who they live with and any local community initiatives. It could inspire a classroom display where children draw their own houses and celebrate all the different types of houses and family structures within their local area.

Age Range: 3+

In the following slideshow Clare talks about the initial inspiration for TOGETHER STREET, how her collaboration with architect, John McAslan, and his wife, Dava Sagenkahn, was initiated and how the book can inspire future generations.

BEHIND THE BOOK Together Street

This is such an interesting ‘story behind the story’. Congratulations on publication and thank you so much for visiting Story Snug and sharing it with us, Clare.

About Clare Helen Welsh

Clare Helen Welsh is a former primary school teacher, now award-winning children’s writer of over 70 books, including picture books, early readers and chapter books. She loves silly ideas, big feelings, and stories that sneak in learning disguised as fun. In her spare time, Clare offers critiques, courses and mentoring for writers, and runs the popular Books That Help resource. She lives in South-West England with her husband and two children. Her most recent publication is Together Street, illustrated by Robyn Wilson-Owen and published by New Frontier in collaboration with the McAslan Family Trust.

Clare’s website / Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn

We’ve featured several of Clare’s books on Story Snug, Aerodynamics of Biscuits was one of the first picture books that we reviewed. Clare also wrote a blogpost on how SCBWI has supported her writing.

Other Story Snug reviews of Clare’s books;