Tag Archives: Animal Homes

Elem. – Home

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Simler, Isabelle. Home. Translated by Vineet Lal. Eerdmans Books for Young Children, 2024. 978-0-802-85620-3. $18.99. 68 p. Grades PK-3.

The word home can mean many things: A dwelling, a feeling, an architectural masterpiece. In the animal kingdom homes come in a wide variety of designs and textures. Twenty-seven animals from around the world are featured in this delightful collection of poems. Depicting a full range of species, Simler’s beautiful illustrations show the brilliance of each shelter and the animal architects who build them. Some animals may be familiar to children and adults: Honeybees, hermit crabs, spiders, beavers and octopuses. Others will be new animals for students to discover, including the Foam-Nest Tree Frog’s foamy ball-shaped egg incubator; the all-blue interior of the Satin Bowerbird’s nest painted with the juice of berries and decorated with stolen blue colored bottle caps and trinkets; the underwater bubble lair of the Diving Bell Spider. Each poem describes both the structure and its creator in gentle lilting verse. The illustrations are intricate and lush. A perfect home style tour through some of nature’s most beautiful masterpieces.

THOUGHTS: There is something to delight everyone in this masterpiece. Young children (and their adults) will be fascinated by species they have never heard of. Even the dwellings of familiar animals take on new layers of meaning through Isabelle Simler’s gorgeous art.

841 Animals, Habitations
French Poetry

Elem. – Too Crowded

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Podesta, Lena. Too Crowded. Sourcebooks, 2021. 978-1-728-22238-7. 32 p. $17.99. Grades PreK-1.

Gil, a goldfish, feels crowded in his bowl with a plant, a castle, and 138 pebbles (that he cleans every day all by himself).  When Gil bonks his nose on the side of his bowl, he decides he needs a new house; something bigger and roomier. He finds a bird’s nest which is nice and large, but the birds are too noisy. He finds Cat’s house which is quiet, but dangerous as Cat tries to get Gil. Finally, Gil finds Turtle’s house. Turtle questions why Gil is out in the air because fish “can’t breathe air, silly.” As Gil gulps for breath, Turtle gets help from their human to save him. Now, Gil is back in his small, cramped bowl, but it’s not so cramped anymore because it is now Turtle’s home too.

THOUGHTS: This is a delightful introduction for children to animal homes and understanding feelings of loneliness and friendship. Gil’s home is cramped because he is alone, but once Turtle joins him, their home is just right. Too Crowded may also translate for children expecting a new sibling because Gil finds joy in sharing his home and things with Turtle. The illustrations are bright and colorful. They are limited, as is the text, and utilize lots of white space. Details are especially fun throughout as Gil wears sneakers and has a bandage on his nose from where he hit the side of his bowl. One final note…Gil is not identified as he, she, or they in the text. As the reader, I identified Gil as a him, but others may identify Gil as she or they.

Picture Book        Erin Bechdel, Beaver Area SD