A House - by Kevin Henkes

Book Synopsis

"Enchantingly simple."--The Wall Street Journal

"Brilliant."--The Horn Book (starred review)

"Viewers will love playing seek and find."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

Caldecott Medal winner and #1 New York Times-bestselling author Kevin Henkes explores family, community, and belonging in this stunning board book. Brimming with interactive call-and-response questions, A House is a timeless and irresistible must-have for both very young children and emerging readers--as well as the entire family.

Where is the door to the house? What does the house look like when it is sunny outside? When it is raining? And what will the house turn into when its family returns? A home.

Caldecott Medal winner Kevin Henkes employs interactive questions, declarative sentences, basic shapes, and a limited color palette in this brilliant and classic picture book. A House introduces young readers to shapes, numbers, the weather, and the parts of a house, with a rhythmic, repetitive text and remarkable illustrations.

A House is an excellent choice for emerging readers, for social and emotional development, and for story-time sharing.

Review Quotes

"Simple text invites viewers to consider images of a house . . . Henkes' familiar stealthy craftsmanship is on display as the story structure creates a rhythm that breaks up into happy surprise and new patterns . . . Viewers will . . . appreciate the blossoming (including literal blossoms) of a house into a home." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

"We see the house in the morning, at night, with the sun, with the moon, in rain and snow, and more. Henkes uses the question-and-answer format to invite readers into the story, and the questions prompt discussions about concepts such as shapes, the passage of time, counting, weather, colors, and size differences. . . . The style conveys Henkes's (2020 winner of the Children's Literature Legacy Award) signature elegance; and the ending will have children pondering precisely what makes a 'house' a 'home.' Brilliant." -- Horn Book (starred review)

"This story follows a house that undergoes a transformation. . . . There is a shift that is subtle but sacred; the house becomes 'home.'. . . Henkes continues to whittle away all but the essentials in his life lessons for preschoolers, and the result is accessible and resonant." -- School Library Journal (starred review)

"Young children are in safe hands when they open a book by Kevin Henkes . . . A House pairs clean-lined, sherbet-colored illustrations with mild questions and observations . . . With the addition of people 'a house' becomes 'a home' in this enchantingly simple picture book." -- Wall Street Journal

"Eschewing a more traditional story arc in this volume, Henkes creates multiple images of a dwelling--a tiny, boxlike structure with a pink tiled roof, a round window, and a blue chimney--and offers a series of questions about them. . . . The questions suggest how much there is to observe about the very simplest things . . . The limited scope of this world--the house, the single-frame storms, even the simply rendered dog and cat--adds further charm to this bite-size creation that's rooted in noticing." -- Publishers Weekly

"When does a house become a home? . . . Caldecott and Legacy winner Henkes has put together a charmingly and deceptively simple interactive book that helps young readers identify shapes, delve into the concept of counting, and recognize meteorological phenomena. . . A sweet mindfulness exercise." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Invites readers to actively participate in the story, presenting questions about colors and shapes, which quickly become more complex considerations about the locations of objects, visual action elements, time of day, and size comparisons. . . . What started as a fun, interactive visual exercise ends up with a gentle message about family and what truly makes a house a home." -- Booklist