The Blue House
Leo (who has long hair and both dolls and trucks in his room) and his dad love their old blue house. There’s moss on the roof, leaks in the ceiling, and peeling paint on the walls. Sometimes the heater breaks down. But father and son know just how to make it cozy: baking pies, building blanket forts, dancing in the living room. One day, Leo’s dad delivers some difficult news. Their landlord has sold the blue house to developers. They will have to move. Leo angrily locks himself in his room, but later he joins his dad in the living room for a cathartic song-and-dance session, where Leo does “a special scream solo.” Refreshingly, Leo’s emotions are calmly acknowledged by his dad, who talks about his own feelings and quietly helps Leo to express himself. In their new house, Leo and his dad paint the walls, bake a pie, and slowly begin to make the place theirs. Abundant details in the multimedia illustrations personalize this white family and their beloved dwellings. ©2021 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Phoebe Wahl
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-8
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Change
City Life
Creativity
Fathers
Feelings/Emotions
Moving
Publishers:
Knopf, Random House
Publish Year: 2020
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9781984893369
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Wahl