The Little, Little House
PreSchool-Grade 2–A delightful retelling of an Eastern European tale. Joseph is convinced that his house is too small for his family and seeks advice from his clever Aunty Bella. She tells him to bring the six chickens inside and, when that doesnt help, recommends bringing in the rooster, followed by the cow and the goat. As matters get progressively worse, Joseph begins to despair, but when all the animals are finally turned out, the family is happy–with what was theirs all along. Souhami notes that she has substituted a wise aunt for the traditional village rabbi or wise man. Probably best known in picture-book format through Ann McGovernsToo Much Noise(Houghton, 1967), this tale also appears in Adèle GerassMy Grandmothers Stories: A Collection of Jewish Folk Tales(Knopf, 2003). Even so, Souhamis lively version will be a welcome addition to picture-book collections. The vibrant colors and strong contrast of the cut-paper shapes against neutral backgrounds provide great visual energy. The simple yet dramatic text makes it especially well suited to reading aloud. Listeners will have to supply some of their own answers from the illustrations as the author describes, rather than tells, what happens with the addition of each animal. Children will love the humor in the pictures as the chickens play cards, read books, and even feed the baby.–Robin L. Gibson, Granville Parent Cooperative Preschool, OHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.