An unconventional, fancifully illustrated Spanish import picture book explores resilience and the cycle of life through one house, which is constructed, occupied, and abandoned, only to be reclaimed by nature.
"The house was built in the summer." A family moves in and the house is happy. The two light-brown-skinned, curly-haired children romp gleefully in the yard and wrestle with their dog. "The family looked after the house. And the house looked after the family." One stormy night, though, the roof is struck by lightning, and the family must move away. The house is sentient enough to wonder what will become of it with no one there. And what will "stop strangers from wandering in"? Strangers do wander in, but it might not be the disaster the house anticipates. Ants march across the pretty tiles, a cow peeks in, a rabbit nibbles on a radish under the table. Trees sprout through the floor and then through the roof. The house merges into nature, discovering that it still has work to do as a shelter and "never stopped being a house."
With minimal words, author/musician/puppeteer Alberto Martín (NiñoCactus) crafts a touching story that exudes the comfort of a home well loved. Translator Jon Brokenbrow melodically translates NiñoCactus's words: "The wind, still smelling of smoke, called it a ruin, and the house fell silent." Celia Sacido (The Walk) occasionally uses a naïve style in her pleasing illustrations while relying primarily on simple line drawings and elaborately detailed mixed-media artwork. The House is a vibrant and encouraging picture book that is likely to transfix readers of all ages. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor