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Ray, Mary Lyn

The House of Grass and Sky

32 pp. | Candlewick | April, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-1-5362-0097-3 $17.99
(2) K-3 Illustrated by E. B. Goodale. In a story recalling Virginia Lee Burton's classic The Little House, Ray relates the experiences of a house in the country from its own perspective. "The house had a tree with a swing, a garden with roses, and a family. It was happy." As the years go by, it sees families come and go, until one day no new family arrives. Seasons pass with the house remaining empty, causing it to think about everything it loves: the memories made there, children at play, good smells from the kitchen. When the house makes a wish, and new people it likes appear, it can't help thinking maybe "they are its family." They, too, leave--only to return with a moving truck! Ray's quiet, eloquent text serves as a poignant meditation on appreciation: of the things we take for granted, the things we value most, and the things we cannot live without. As the house enjoys life, loss, and renewal, readers experience it, too, through Goodale's highly expressive, textured, and fluid illustrations, a beautiful mix of monoprinting, ink, watercolor, and digital collage. The house's longing and sadness are reflected in dark colors, shadows, silhouettes, and the moon, while cheerier hues, nature scenes, and bright sunshine reflect its joy and contentment. Many spreads feature windows, serving as the house's eyes out onto the world while also shining light onto the life (or lack thereof) within. Early illustrations of photographs reflect the happy memories made at the house; later, the pictures are discovered by the new family's little girl, as her own family makes (photographed) memories, bringing the story full circle.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

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