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PICTURE BOOKS
Guojing,

The House That Floated

40 pp. | Random/Random House Studio | September, 2025 | Trade ISBN 9780593709054 $18.99 | Library ISBN 9780593709061 $21.99 | Ebook ISBN 9780593709078 $6.99
(1) K-3 Guojing (The Flamingo, rev. 11/22; Oasis, rev. 3/25) presents a vivid wordless picture book about a family who lives in a small seaside cabin atop a steep cliff. We first meet a young couple who frees a dolphin ensnared in their fishing net. The soft-focus paneled illustrations follow the seasons as they come and go, and the family grows to include a child. The three live an idyllic life together, relishing such simple pleasures as swimming in the ocean, stargazing, and woodcarving. The child joins their parents out fishing; on one magical trip, a pod of dolphins frolics around their motorboat. Meanwhile, the sea waters rise higher and higher toward their house on the cliff. After one massive rainstorm, the land where the house stands floods, and the house is entirely surrounded by water. Together, the family labors to construct a raft for the cabin and tows their home behind the boat, leading to the book's titular voyage in search of dry land. This tale of a loving family's resilience in the face of changing circumstances is conveyed through luminous chalk and digital drawings that communicate a strong appreciation and respect for nature and the environment. A cinematic page-turner, it may fuel children's imaginations as they weave their own stories to accompany these images.
Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

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