Home

by Matt de la Peña Narrated by Matt de la Peña

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

From the brilliant mind of Matt de la Pena and the indelible vision of Loren Long comes a timeless tale about the idea of Home, in all of its complexities.

From Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña, the author behind the #1 New York Times bestseller Love, comes a moving meditation on the places we feel most comfortable, loved, and protected-wherever that might be.

Home is a tired lullaby
and a late-night traffic that mumbles in
through a crack in your curtains.

Home is the faint trumpet of a distant barge
as your grandfather casts his line
from the edge of his houseboat.

With lyrical text, Matt de la Peña celebrates the beauty and love found in every home, no matter its size. They show how a home is more than just a place . . . People can be a kind of home-a family and a community that cares for one another. And the natural world is another kind of home, a refuge we share with every living thing on Earth.

This deeply moving ode to the universal pull of home, whatever its form, is destined to become a new classic that will be cherished by listeners of every age.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Home:

* "Beckons readers from the first page, capably pulling them from scenes of ordinary comforts to musings on sorrow and back . . . [H]ome becomes a quiet father’s gentle guidance, a hardworking grandma rolling tortillas, and a welcome from a kind teacher. These moments of simple yet exceptional connections among people, and between cities and nature, build to a crescendo that harkens back to the “thump, thump, thump” of the human heart—a potent reminder of life’s promises. Similarly, Long’s acrylic art transforms portraits of ordinary days and nights into formidable reveries, featuring folks varied in skin color and cultural background. Of course, the penultimate double-page spread framed around a child’s pensive face—Earth reflected in the character’s eyes—is the most astounding . . . Simply divine." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "A moving story about cultivating home in different places—one that leans into themes of healing, resilience, and finding center." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "The lovely and poetic text will bring readers a feeling of calm and encourage them to slow down and pause. Heartwarming and striking illustrations depict families in embrace, moments of peace, and even difficult scenes of loss and hardship—but readers will always find love and home in each image. Both language editions are eloquent and will evoke feelings of tranquility and peace. A stunning and lyrical title that is a perfect addition to English and Spanish-language picture book collections for children, and an excellent choice to share with children of all ages.—School Library Journal, starred review

"Poignant . . . Whether depicting calm or disaster, Long’s art is full of emotion, and each of his textured acrylic paintings is a masterclass in color and shading. The story [highlights] all of the wonder and beauty of our greater home, Earth, reminding us that though four walls may be lost, the concept of home is much bigger." —The Horn Book

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2024-11-23
In the wake of their lyrical rumination onLove (2018), de la Peña and Long ponder the incomparable possibilities of home.

Glimpses plucked from everyday lives—a parent and child cozying up at bedtime, a man fishing as his grandchild observes, a youngster at play as an airplane flies just beyond the window—offer potential representations of home. Perhaps home is a cozy bed on a big rig or a fancy high-rise with its doorman and pool. But, as de la Peña notes, “a home can be lost,” whether due to a flood, a job loss, or other unfortunate tides of life. The author’s constant reference to “you” beckons readers from the first page, capably pulling them from scenes of ordinary comforts to musings on sorrow and back. From there, home becomes a quiet father’s gentle guidance, a hardworking grandma rolling tortillas, and a welcome from a kind teacher. These moments of simple yet exceptional connections among people, and between cities and nature, build to a crescendo that harkens back to the “thump, thump, thump” of the human heart—a potent reminder of life’s promises. Similarly, Long’s acrylic art transforms portraits of ordinary days and nights into formidable reveries, featuring folks varied in skin color and cultural background. Of course, the penultimate double-page spread framed around a child’s pensive face—Earth reflected in the character’s eyes—is the most astounding. Publishes simultaneously in Spanish.

Simply divine.(Picture book. 4-8)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940192241882
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	03/11/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	Up to 4 Years

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