The Little, Little House - Softcover

Jessica Souhami

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1845072839 ISBN 13: 9781845072834

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Childrens Books, 2006

Synopsis

Joseph and his family feel squashed in their little, little house, with just a yard for the chickens and a small green patch for the goat and cow, so Joseph goes to his Aunty Bella for help. She tells him to bring the chickens into the house. Result - chaos. But when Joseph goes back to Aunty Bella, she smiles and tells him to bring in the rooster... then the cow... then the goat, until the little, little house is a dirty, smelly barnyard bursting out of its walls! Only when Joseph follows Aunty Bella's final piece of advice does he discover what a clever woman she is, and learns to count his blessings. Jessica Souhami's hilarious retelling of a delightful nursery tale has bright, bold collage illustrations and a fun text, perfect for reading aloud.

About this title

About the Author

Jessica Souhami studied at the Central School of Art and Design. In 1980 she formed Mme Souhami and Co, a travelling puppet company using colourful shadow puppets with a musical accompaniment and a storyteller. Her most recent titles for Frances Lincoln include In the Dark Dark Wood, Mrs McCool and the Giant Cuchulainn, and The Famous Adventure of a Bird Brained Hen.

From School Library Journal

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 McGoverns Too Much Noise (Houghton, 1967), this tale also appears in Adèle Gerass My 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, OH
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Edition details

• Publisher: Frances Lincoln Childrens Books
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1845072839
• ISBN 13: 9781845072834
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32