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Home
Written and illustrated by Carson Ellis

My rating: ★★★

ISBN: 978-0763665296
Publisher: Candlewick
Date of publication: February 24, 2015
Age: 3 - 7 years

Themes: dwellings, fantasy & reality, culture, stereotype

Home might be a house in the country, an apartment in the city, or even a shoe. Home may be on the road or the sea, in the realm of myth, or in the artist’s own studio. Messy or clean, tall or short, homes come in all shapes and sizes. What is your home like?

With handsome, subdued illustrations and simple text, this book is enjoyable for all ages. However, I was struck with the stereotypical depictions of some of the homes (black girl resides in an apartment with graffiti on outside, wigwams with Native Americans paired with colonizers on a big ship, Persians hide out with their gold and women, etc). The text also doesn't really lend itself to any sort of story or pattern; sometimes it's about opposites, sometimes it's about cultures, and sometimes it's totally mythical (moonians have homes on the moon). Though, this does allow for plenty of imagination as the reader's brain jumps through these different categories. In the end, it has good reader participation and the illustrations are pretty cute. See what you think.

Find it at your library or on Amazon