Little Houses

Kevin Henkes has been praised both as a writer and as an illustrator and is the recipient of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to literature for children. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon; Caldecott Honors for Waiting and Owen; Newbery Honors for Olive’s Ocean and The Year of Billy Miller; and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble. His other books include Is It Spring?, The World and Everything in It, A House, A Parade of Elephants, Chrysanthemum, and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.Laura Dronzek is a painter whose work has been exhibited nationally. Her picture books include Moonlight, by Helen V. Griffith; It Is Night, by Phyllis Rowand; White Is for Blueberry, by George Shannon; Little Houses, by Kevin Henkes; and a quartet of seasonal picture books also by Kevin Henkes. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

“In this poetic, reassuring picture book meditation, a girl is swept up in wonderment after her grandmother reminds her that the shells on the beach are tiny houses.” — Shelf Awareness“A pigtailed child visits her grandparents at the shore, where the waves call them to explore the sands just outside the steps of their small seaside house. . . . The girl and her grandmother search for shells of every kind . . . [and] she begins to wonder about the inhabitants of these tiny homes. . . . Henkes and Dronzek’s latest pitch-perfect collaboration offers an intimate multigenerational narrative that captures children’s hopeful curiosity about our shared home.” — Horn Book (starred review)“Henkes and Dronzek create a story about a child . . . whose visit to a grandparents’ small beach house allows time for wondering and questioning. . . . The grandparents’ quiet, affirming presences allow their grandchild space to contemplate. . . . For now, though, the child treasures a collection of shells, little houses. Henkes writes with quiet grace that avoids preciousness, while Dronzek’s acrylic seashore-centered spreads capture one person encountering the natural world with curiosity and reverence.” — Publishers Weekly“Curiosity and wonder about nature are explored, this time through a family trip. . . . As they walk the beach, the child studies the shells and considers the creatures that once lived in them. Vibrant acrylic illustrations depict these little houses in multiple colors, sizes, and shapes. . . . Her grandparents encourage her to explore her surroundings, inspiring her to want to learn more. . . . Returning to her own house, the girl takes some of the treasures along, understanding that she, too, is part of the wonderful wider world.” — Booklist“A marvelous book . . . Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek have created an ode to curiosity that urges readers to open their minds and wonder at the world. . . . Every page of Little Houses reminds readers of the infinite ways that oceans, animals, plants, and people are connected.”   — BookPage (starred review)“Beachcombing is a highlight of the little girl narrator’s visits with her grandparents . . . She examines the shells . . . and ponders her grandmother’s observation that they are little houses . . . The gentle poetic lilt of the girl’s musings is effectively complemented by the precise depiction of seashore wonders in Dronzek’s acrylic paintings, with colors both cheerful and vivid . . . A thoughtful wind-down after a satisfying day at the beach.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books“For anyone with memories of spending time with grandparents or other relatives at the beach, smelling salt water, or picking up seashells to bring back home. . . . Dronzek’s sweet scenes use ocean-washed colors while the . . . narration is a childlike and spontaneous experience of the sea, asking readers to slow down and savor their surroundings with all their senses. A book to keep in little houses by the sea, or on library shelves, where readers can ask their own questions about their place in the larger world we all live in.” — School Library Journal