A House That Once Was
-
- $11.99
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
A New York Times Best Illustrated book!
A Boston Globe Best Children's Book of 2018
“Accompanied by Lane's evocative art that suggests layers of history, Fogliano's story turns this childhood scenario into a radiant poem about the mysteries of other people and the wonderfulness of home.” —New York Times
Deep in the woods
is a house
just a house
that once was
but now isn’t
a home.
Who lived in that house? Who walked down its hallways? Why did they leave it, and where did they go?
Two children set off to find the answers by piecing together clues found, books left behind, forgotten photos, and discarded toys, creating their own vision of those who came before, in this deeply moving tale of imagination by Ezra Jack Keats Award–winning author Julie Fogliano and Caldecott Award–winning illustrator Lane Smith.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this lyrical meditation by Fogliano (When's My Birthday?), two children discover an empty, derelict house: "Deep in the woods/ is a house/ just a house/ that once was / but now isn't/ a home." Smith (Grandpa Green) draws the surrounding forest in bursts of texture and color, but when the children enter the house and wander through the rooms, the color fades and things take on a ghostly dimension. "Who was this someone who ate beans for dinner/ who sat by this fire/ who looked in this mirror?" Especially spooky are the photographic collage details showing the faces of the home's long-ago residents. The moodiness lifts as the guessing grows silly, and Smith's spreads switch to richer color, depth, and playful caricature: "Was it a man with a big beard and glasses who would look out the window and dream of the sea?" Sensitive readers may be put off by the story's eerier suggestions ("Or what if they're lost and they're wandering lonely?"), while those who share a fascination with abandoned places will be entranced. Ages 3 6.
