Author: Susan Marie Swanson
Illustrator: Beth Krommes
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Age Group: Lower Elementary
Rating: 5 Stars
After reading the House in the Night, I definitely want to have a copy of this book for my future children. In my opinion it is the perfect bedtime story, however I would not necessarily choose it for a classroom read aloud. The story is short and concise with unique illustrations that are only black, white, and gold (perfect for the Hawkeyes :) and visually appealing. The images are rounded and intricate with sketched markings that detail and shade each piece of the illustration. They are almost calming in a sense, which flows greatly with the bedtime story aspect.
The story is a series of objects in events, that is then reversed. In other words, it starts off with the mother handing the daughter a key, that goes to a house, that has a room, that has a bed... and so on and so on. Then the story goes in reverse and ends with the key, where it had started. This form of writing creates a full-circle cycle, which I find particularly appealing, because nothing is left unsaid or unsolved. For me, this sets a calming mood, which is again ideal for a bedtime story.
The text itself is not very challenging, and there are only a few words per page. For this reason, I find this to be a great book for beginning readers to practice with their parents in bed before going to sleep. The white borders that are framed around each of the pictures really gives the idea of each illustration as a separate piece of art, which I, as an art specialization, really appreciate. Overall, this is one of my favorite pieces of children's literature that I have seen thus far in Reading and Responding to Children's Literature.
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