A House That Once Was
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- £2.99
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
Illustrated by the winner of the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2017, Lane Smith, and chosen as one the New York Times Best Illustrated Books 2018.
Two children come across an abandoned house deep in the woods and imagine who could have lived there.
Deep in the woods
is a house
just a house
that once was
but now isn't
a home.
A House That Once Was is a beautifully illustrated exploration of time, imagination and the nature of home that is sure to provoke discussion. Lane's artwork is a riot of colour and rich texture that perfectly matches the poetic text written by the New York Times-bestselling author, Julie Fogliano.
This evocative, rhyming story is perfect for reading out loud.
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.
