The Home Builders

by Varsha Bajaj, Simona Mulazzani (Illustrator)

Overview

This vibrantly illustrated picture book celebrates a variety of woodland creatures as they make their homes and prepare for their young.

Welcome to a serene woodland where lots of expectant animal parents are in their "nesting" phase—that is, busy preparing safe, cozy homes for their growing families. As they dig, tunnel, gnaw, and gather, they create dens, burrows, lodges, and, of course, nests. Soon the woods are full of new little ones peeping, crawling, romping, and snuggling—and with artwork so gorgeous that it feels like an invitation into the scenery it's depicting, readers will be eager to join them in their beautiful home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399166853
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	02/12/2019
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	341,889
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Varsha Bajaj also wrote This Is Our Baby, Born Today, a Bank Street Best Book. She grew up in Mumbai, India, and when she came to the United States to obtain her master's degree, her adjustment to the country was aided by her awareness of the culture through books. In addition to her previous picture books, she wrote the middle-grade novel Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood, which was shortlisted for the Cybils Award and included on the Spirit of Texas Reading Program. She lives in Houston, Texas.

Simona Mulazzani also illustrated Rock-a-Bye Romp, by Linda Ashman, and has illustrated over one hundred adult and children's books for international publishers, as well. She received silver medals from the Society of Illustrators in 2005 and 2013. She was born in Milan, Italy, and now lives in Pesaro, Italy.

Editorial Reviews

What will young readers encounter in the peaceful landscape of this picture book? Lush, full-bleed double-page spreads . . . simple poetic text. . . . Whether children are listening in a group or as individuals at home, they will enjoy this book.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Explores how an array of woodland animals build safe habitats for their babies. . . . Mulazzani uses acrylic colored pencils and collage on paper to create expansive illustrations with pink sky tones, giving readers a sense of calm. Soft dark blue night skies, sparkling with stars, and sleeping animals complete this vision of serenity. . . . Poetic narrative, interpreted artistically by the illustrator. Simple elegant rhyming words lead readers to learn the names for each animal baby . . . encourage[s] little ones to immerse themselves in the lush experience. By using the pictures to fill in the missing details, adults and children can explore and interact, creating a conversation.”—School Library Journal

“Invites children to observe nature for themselves as a variety of creatures busily create their homes. . . . Bajaj’s text is simple, specific, and active, reflecting the hard work of each type of creature to stay alive. . . . Mulazzani’s mixed-media illustrations use soft colors and have a generally cozy feel, yet their clarity and precision allow viewers to spot even the smallest insects on the pages. Children can follow their favorite animal throughout and may come away with the (possibly) new idea that the animals they see outside must work to provide homes for their families, too.”—Horn Book

“Seemingly simple but quietly effective . . . works equally well as a source for early elementary curriculum support and as a calming bedtime story. . . . The accessible language effortlessly introduces new vocabulary and the drawings provide lots of little details while their muted tones evoke feelings of safety and serenity. This is a lovely introduction to how animals survive outdoors, and a good way to encourage conversation, whether comparing and contrasting types of forest dwellings during story hour, or chatting about how critters manage to stay warm and dry as they snuggle down to sleep.”—Booklist

From the Publisher

02/01/2019

PreS-Gr 1—While Bajaj's This Is Our Baby, Born Today followed the birth of one elephant, this new offering explores how an array of woodland animals build safe habitats for their babies. Owls, tortoises, ants, foxes, bees, and many other critters make their homes in trees, grass, on ridges, in the water, and underground. Mulazzani uses acrylic colored pencils and collage on paper to create expansive illustrations with pink sky tones, giving readers a sense of calm. Soft dark blue night skies, sparkling with stars, and sleeping animals complete this vision of serenity. The illustrations suggest, rather than attempt a factual representation. A honeycomb-shaped intersection of a beehive appears to be floating in mid-air, but careful inspection will lead to discovery of an attached beehive under a bridge earlier in the book. While sometimes the text and pictures do not entirely connect, the overall impression is that of poetic narrative, interpreted artistically by the illustrator. Simple elegant rhyming words lead readers to learn the names for each animal baby, but not the adult counterpart, suggesting that this picture book is not meant to instruct but rather encourage little ones to immerse themselves in the lush experience. By using the pictures to fill in the missing details, adults and children can explore and interact, creating a conversation prompted each discovery. VERDICT A recommended purchase for large collections seeking gentle nighttime reads about animals, babies, and habitats.—Eva Thaler-Sroussi, Needham Free Public Library, MA

School Library Journal

2018-11-12

What will young readers encounter in the peaceful landscape of this picture book?

Lush, full-bleed double-page spreads in a predominantly blue, green, and brown palette, executed in a soft mix of media that includes acrylics, colored pencils, and collage, accompany simple poetic text with an abcb rhyme scheme. The words are quiet, meant to convey safety and security. Many of the titular "home builders" appear in the first spread: Tortoises inch along a path, red foxes peek out from hiding, a deer grazes in the background, beavers cavort in the water, a great horned owl snoozes in a tree. The rest—moles, honeybees, and eagles—arrive after the page turn. Bajaj structures her book with questions. "Do you see the homes?" The answer is simple: "Beds in leaf piles, / Dens snug and warm, // Lodges on ponds, / Shelter from storms. // Burrows with rooms, / Beehives and nests, / Each of these homes / Soon will be blessed." (Some may wonder at the word "blessed," but it seems to owe its use more to the rhyme scheme than underlying religiosity.) Babies arrive and, satisfyingly, learn to "work and play." Throughout, Mulazzani prioritizes intimacy over accurate scale or reproduction of animal architecture, offering lovely but sometimes confusing compositions.

Whether children are listening in a group or as individuals at home, they will enjoy this book, but the science learning is limited. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews