Home by Carson Ellis

Home Reviews

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  Hilary

  4.5 stars. This is a beautiful book full of different types of homes. We loved the cover which shows homes such as a yurt, a barn, a caravan, a geodesic dome, a shoe with a roof, a snail shell....if my children were younger we would have loved to sit and look at this and decide which one we liked best and who we thought would live in each one.
  
  The text is sparse and perhaps this would have been better if it rhymed or was more creative, but the book has so much to look at it didn't seem to matter. We liked the way some homes were real and some like the Moonian's house and the home of the Norse god were fantasy. We particularly liked the page that showed a Babouska's house as this was the name of our much loved guinea pig that I use as my goodreads picture.
  This is a book I would really enjoy reading with a small child.
  
  Taken out of the library again today 17/02/20. Really enjoyable, I love this artists style, if I had younger children I would definitely buy a copy. The illustrations remind me of Felicita Sala's or Isabelle Arsenault's work which is huge praise indeed!
• 
  Michele

  I had mixed feelings on this book, while the illustrations were beautifully done and are quite whimsical, I felt that the actual story did not have a good flow. I also did not care for the way some individuals / homes were depicted, and to me seemed to stereotype. For instance, there is a young dark skinned girl sitting in an apartment building that is covered in graffiti, the illustration for "Some homes are wigwams" have Indigenous people with bows and arrows, followed by a palace and an underground lair in which Arab, possible Muslim, characters are smoking as they stack gold coins and there is a woman reclining on a pile of gold --as if she is a possession. At some point, Ellis does switch to fanciful imagery and homes that are under the sea, in tree hollows...only wish that she would have done this throughout the story. IMO, not something I would want to add to my collection.
  
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  Tina Haigler

  I liked the whimsical story about the many different homes that exist--both real and fantastical--but it was the art that took my breath away. I don't know what it was about it (something about the shape of the lines maybe) but I could honestly look at it all day; I want to frame it and put it on my wall. Done in gouache and ink, the color is exceptionally rich in some places while soft in others. I especially enjoyed the blues and greens; they made my eyes (and heart) happy. It's also worth mentioning that this book is hand-lettered by Ellis. What can't this woman do?! Overall, what a lovely book! I highly recommend it to children of all ages.
• 
  Benji Martin

  I hope this whole Carson Ellis, writing and illustrating picture books thing keeps on happening.
• 
  Jill

  When I was little, I was fascinated with the different types of houses people had all around the world. I would have treasured this beautiful book with its imaginative survey of houses around the planet and even beyond it! And it doesn’t just cover the habitats of people: for example, one page shows the home of a raccoon, and one shows the home of a Norse god.
  
  Author/illustrator Carson Ellis adds many little informative features to let you know about life in each type of home. The picture of a Russian home, for instance, includes a samovar on the table and an onion-domed church out the kitchen window. She also cleverly shows you how the very same home can look quite different, as with her comparison of a “clean” home versus a “messy” home. All the pictures convey the author’s sense of wonder with both the natural and the magical.
  
  The homes follow one after the other in a related progression with simple lyrics that have a Dr. Seuss-like feel. They convey all that is necessary.
  
  Ellis’s artwork, evocative of folklore and fairytales, may seem familiar because of her illustrations for the book series "Wildwood Chronicles," written by Ellis’s husband, Colin Meloy. (One of the pictures - of a home in an apartment - shows some graffiti: “I love CM.”)
  
  Discussion: I could spend hours looking at the pictures in this book, ferreting out half-hidden delightful details. Curious kids will want to seek out more information from her tantalizing taste of other worlds. I imagine kids might want to know, to name but a few things: What is this Atlantis that looks so intriguing? What is the story behind the gourd birdhouses shown in Kenya? How can I find out more about the seahorses that live in “sea homes”? Who might live on a mountain top?
  
  Evaluation: This book is full of treats and surprises, and will provide hours of entertainment. The art work is just lovely.
• 
  Samantha

  While I love the look and color palette of the gouache and ink artwork, the story just didn't satisfy me.
  
  This book looks at different types of homes and while I did appreciate that the reader is invited to guess/wonder at who might reside in a few of the homes, I felt limited by some of the other homes. It was disappointing to see an apartment being depicted as in the city amongst pollution and graffiti, which read (to me) as less desirable than many of the other homes.
  
  I was hoping for an author's note that explained some of the research that went into creating this book, but it wasn't included.
  
  Long story short, this book troubles me.
  
  The artwork is completely up my alley, but I just didn't like the execution. PreK-2.
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  reading is my hustle

  
  
  
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  Mathew

  I enjoyed the cyclical ending (or beginning) of this book and how Ellis' journey through different homes, imaginary as well as wholly real all blossomed from the artist's studio (final picture). As a debut, I found Ellis' concept of what home means to different people a powerful and thought-provoking discussion. She uses her colours sparingly, browns, greys, greens and reds to great effect as we follow a little bird - a migrator free to travel anywhere - around the world (both real and imaginary) to places we may never visit.
  
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  Lizzie

  I'll always have thing for the muted palate/folksy style of The Decemberists' art for that warm feeling the band gave in me in the early 2000s. In this book I like the quirkiness and the well balanced panels (great use of the gutter!), but I don't like stereotypical depictions of some of the dwellers (wigwams - for real?)
• 
  Laura Harrison

  Brilliant and beautiful. A definite Caldecott 2016 contender.
• 
  Abigail

  Carson Ellis, an illustrator known for her work on her musician/author husband Colin Meloy's album covers and novels, makes her solo debut with this picture-book, which profiles a variety of homes, realistic and imaginary. From houses in the country to apartments in the city, from living underwater to living on the road, a diverse range of homes is profiled here: identified in simple statements, and depicted in lovely folk-art illustrations.
  
  From an aesthetic perspective, I enjoyed Home immensely. I appreciated Ellis' subtle but appealing color palette, and found that her use of stylized figures and objects helped to create a charmingly retro-vintage feeling. That said, I wasn't quite as impressed with the narrative, which felt random to me, and not in an appealing way. I found that while I appreciated the individual homes beings portrayed, somehow their juxtaposition just didn't work for me. Still, this is a worthy first endeavor, and I look forward to seeing what Ellis does in her second picture-book, the recently released
  Du Iz Tak?. Recommended to fans of Ellis' artwork, or to those who have enjoyed Jon Klassen's books, which have a very similar visual feeling to them.
  
  Addendum: I see that Home has been criticized for some stereotyping, when it comes to who lives where - a young girl of color living in a graffiti-covered urban apartment building, for instance - as well as some poorly thought out juxtapositions. Is the pairing of an old sailing ship with people living in a wigwam an intentional reference to first contact between Europeans and Native Americans? If so, what (if anything) is Ellis trying to communicate? Although not offended myself, I can see why some might have concerns. One criticism I have seen that strikes me as misguided is the one that claims that the scene set in a Middle-Eastern palace, complete with underground lair containing piles of gold, is an example of some kind of Orientalist exotification. Coming as it does before the "home" in a shoe - a clear fairy-tale reference - I myself read the Middle-Eastern scene as a reference to the story of Aladdin, and have to wonder if these critics are simply unaware of that story, and ignorant of the wider storytelling tradition of
  The Arabian Nights.
• 
  Orsolya

  The same way that people come in all shapes and sizes; as do the homes that they live in. Carson Ellis attempts to expand acceptance and preclude any judgments towards the classification of homes in, “Home”.
  
  “Home” is an oversized juvenile picture book with very little text targeting very young children mostly in the 4-6 age bracket. The focus of “Home” is more on the illustrations than actual prose but the message is clear: people and animals live in diverse dwellings but one is not better than the next.
  
  Ellis begins “Home” by presenting a variety of homes and mentioning the types of creatures to inhabit them. Uniquely, “Home” then takes turn showing the interior of homes versus the exterior and then switching it up yet again by presenting homes (even fantasy ones) which engage a child’s creativity by asking who lives in them. This makes “Home” interactive and more memorable versus a simply declarative book.
  
  Although “Home” is intended for small children; the author and illustrator Carson Ellis is known amongst adults as the wife of Colin Meloy, lead singer of the band, The Decemberists. Ellis has illustrated Meloy’s writings and also album covers. Therefore, the illustrations in “Home” are very much in the hipster-indie art realm and can be imagined being sold on Etsy.com in the form of prints. Despite the slight adult essence; children will love the large, colorful, and detailed watercolor paintings that cover the pages. Parents will notice details such as the “I love CM” tag amongst the graffiti drawings and the dove in every illustration.
  
  Overall, “Home” is a very simple and to-the-point book for the young ones (perhaps too simple); but has a positive message. “Home” is recommended to introduce children to the concept of unique homes and would be exceptional in a situation where a family is intending to move. However, don’t expect to be blown away and there are far better similar children’s books on the market.
  
• 
  Linda Lipko

  A delightful first book for Carson Ellis
  
  There are lovely illustrations to show that home is where the heart is. Using various colors and shapes, the author includes books around the world.
  
  A solid 4 rating.
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  Zak Aylett

  Really cool view on how many different types of homes people may live in!
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  Literary Strawberry

  All the illustrations are so cozy and interesting, I want to live in almost all these homes
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  Sophia Z

  Read it many times TO my 14-months old son. Can’t wait to read it WITH him one day.
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  Beth

  Simply beautiful. A must-read for anyone who loves children's literature. An instant classic.
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  Sarah

  I could read this book 72 times in a row and not get tired of it.
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  Critterbee❇

  I loved the artwork of this book! The illustrations are mainly whimsical depictions of various types of homes, of both people and animals, around the world.
  
  Some of those featured - a Norse god, a raccoon, a Moonian - are fanciful and funny. Others are uncomfortable stereotypes, and should be discussed at length with your child while reading together.
  
  The illustration style was wonderful, the only issue I have is that some of the scenes were not fully explained by the text, and might encourage children to believe broad, questionable stereotypes at an early age.
  
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  Dilara Inam

  I think this book is pretty creative and also I really like all the illustrations.
  
  Here comes the but part... There are lots of reductionist, orientalist and even racist ideas about people and their houses. There are lots of stereotypes embedded in relation with class, race and gender.
  
  If it does not have culturally inappropriate examples, I would give 5 stars for sure.
• 
  Erin

  "Where is your home? Where are you?" Ellis reflects on all the possibilities of home through her lovely illustrations and fantastical imaginings of all that a home could be. Many of the homes are familiar to us from stories and nursery rhymes.
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  Laura's Book Addiction

  I originally brought this book because of a recommendation by OwlCrate, I'm so glad I did as Home was absolute perfection. The writing and the illustrations blew me away and the story kept my daughter entertained while we were reading!!!
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  Samantha Shoen

  I love this book. My kids love this book. The illustrations are beautiful and it sure makes a person love Home.
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  KC

  Home, homes, and home!
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  Emma Sedlak

  The text is quite simple, but the illustrations are so remarkable that this book is a stunning meditation on a wide range of homes, including what the home of a Norse God might look like!
• 
  Angela

  Pretty, imaginative, meta.
• 
  Lily

  (to be reviewed)
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  Jessica

  Love this book! It’s gorgeous illustrations are enough to keep you staring at a page, wondering along with the writer: “who lives here?” Love it!
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  Chinook

  The girls and I all loved this one. We talked a lot about the pictures and how the homes were like and unlike our home.
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  Ella

  This book is full of pretty pictures but also full of problematic stereotypes and caricatures. Would not recommend reading this to any child.