The Great Indoors

by Julie Falatko, Ruth Chan

Overview

Forest animals set up camp in an empty human house in this rollicking picture book by up-and-coming talents Julie Falatko and Ruth Chan.

When the humans head out to go camping, the animals settle in for a relaxing holiday of their own! Teen bear takes over the bathroom with her curling iron, the beavers prepare their fanciest recipes, and the deer kick up their feet for a dance party. What starts as a little unwinding soon escalates to a big mess, just in time for everyone to head home. . . .

Julie Falatko and Ruth Chan's quirky humors shine in this hilarious take on family trips that will have kids wondering what exactly goes on back at home when they're on vacation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781368045803
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	04/04/2019
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	NOOK Book
File size:	56 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Julie Falatko is the author of the Snappsy the Alligator series, illustrated by Tim Miller, as well as the Two Dogs in a Trench Coat series, illustrated by Colin Jack, and No Boring Stories, illustrated by Charles Santoso. She lives in Maine with her husband, four children, and two dogs, where she maintains a Little Free Library in front of her house. Visit her online at juliefalatko.com.

Ruth Chan spent much of her Canadian childhood tobogganing, another chunk of time studying art and education at Wellesley College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a decade working with kids in underserved communities in Boston, DC, and NYC. She has since become a full-time illustrator, spending her time creating picturebooks, illustrating for various clients, and doodling on the train. Ruth now lives in Brooklyn, NY with her dog, Feta. Find out more about Ruth and her other books at ohtruth.com.

Editorial Reviews

02/20/11

Humans head to the outdoors to get away from it all—why shouldn’t forest animals recharge their batteries by doing the exact opposite? That’s the perfectly reasonable explanation for a bunch of critters surreptitiously turning a house into vacation central while its human owners are away. This is the real “simple life”: a roof over their heads, a big-screen TV, a kitchen (the beavers cook lasagna and bring lots of ice cream), and great phone reception. “The most relaxing week of the year” says a blissed-out mother bear. But every vacation eventually runs out of steam (“I miss peeing behind a tree,” a skunk says; “Who keeps licking the butter?” a beaver asks) and the group decamps, leaving behind a house that’s definitely worse for the wear and promising to rendezvous at the same time next year. Cartooning by Chan (Georgie’s Best Bad Day) has a naive goofiness that nails the void-the-warranty spirit of time off, while Falatko (the Snappsy the Alligator series) effectively voices both deadpan narrator (“As the days go by, thing got less perfect”) and leisure-obsessed animals: “Good-bye, peace and quiet!” “Hello, dance party!” Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Danielle Smith, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"Chan's playful illustrations use clean lines and watercolor in light colors to build from fun to chaos."— Kirkus Reviews

"A laugh-out-loud title that's sure to be a hit with older preschoolers and early elementary students."— SLJ

"Kids will appreciate the entertaining riff on the way vacations go wrong and right, and maybe they'll cast a longing look behind them for possible animal adventure as they leave for their own holiday."— BCCB

From the Publisher

04/01/2019

PreS-Gr 2—In this humorous twist on the phrase "the great outdoors," a menagerie of forest animals move into a home to enjoy the great indoors. The beavers move into the kitchen to cook and provide snacks, while the deer dance along with a karaoke machine. The skunks enjoy the electricity and cell phone reception, and the beavers are happy to be dry. The moose welcome the noise, and the bears work on projects with power tools. Before long, though, the benefits of the great indoors begin to wear thin. A beaver complains: "My thumbs hurt from playing Dam Builder 4 all day," the kitchen is a mess, and a bear breaks the bed. Finally, in a wordless double-page spread, the animals' facial expressions convey their frustration amid the chaos. The animals miss the outdoors but heartily agree to come back next year. The final pages reveal a human family approaching the door, relieved to be home and about to encounter their wrecked home after, what must be assumed, their vacation in the great outdoors. Cartoon-style illustrations and speech bubbles, alongside humorous illustrations (such as the bear working on a honey purifier), make this one a winner. VERDICT A laugh-out-loud title that's sure to be a hit with older preschoolers and early elementary students.—Ramarie Beaver, Plano Public Library System, TX

School Library Journal

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