Your House, My House

by Marianne Dubuc

Overview

Welcome to an apartment building where the fun never ends! It’s a special day at 3 Maple Street. It’s Little Rabbit’s birthday, and he’s having a party! His friends are invited, and his mother is baking him a cake. But that’s not the only thing going on here. The Cat family is moving in upstairs. The Fox family is having a new baby. Mr. Owl is trying to sleep. There’s so much happening inside (and outside) this lively building, it’s hard to keep track! Kids will want to get their own apartments at 3 Maple Street — or at least spend loads of time visiting!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781525305733
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	10/06/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	36 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Marianne Dubuc is an award-winning author and illustrator of many books for children, including The Bus Ride, Lucy and Company and Mr. Postmouse’s Rounds. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages around the world. Marianne lives in Montreal, Quebec.

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/14/2020

This day-in-the-life tale takes place in a modest apartment building seen in Richard Scarry–style cutaways. Sweetly tinted spreads by Dubuc (Up the Mountain Path) show three floors of flats, plus an attic garret and storage, all of whose line-drawn inhabitants are busy with their own, sometimes intersecting story arcs. On the ground floor, preparations are ongoing for Little Rabbit’s birthday. Second-floor inhabitant Mr. Bear spends the day in bed with a cold (a canine doctor comes and goes), and a cat family moves into floor three. The animals, including some natural predator-prey pairs, live in harmony alongside one another. When Little Rabbit’s sister burns the birthday cake, it’s no trouble (“Mama Rabbit makes another cake and pops it in the oven”), floor two’s Little Fox stays with the Rabbit family while his sibling is born, and Little Rabbit’s party is gaily attended by almost all of the neighbors (unwell Mr. Bear is brought a slice of cake). Small moments and incidents, including insect appearances and outdoor fairy tale shenanigans, have a gentle cumulative effect. This book will prompt contented rereads and conversations about neighbors, sharing, and community. Ages 3–7. Agent: Veronique Kirchoff, VeroK Agency. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Dubuc's delightful domestic dramas will entertain children and adults alike.—Kirkus Reviews

This book will prompt contented rereads and conversations about neighbors, sharing, and community.—Publishers Weekly, starred review

... a sweet story about friendship and inclusion that can only add another interactive level to story time.—CM Magazine

The reward is in entering the book again and again.—School Library Journal, starred review

... this Richard Scarry-esque book, with its expressive and appealingly drawn animal characters, begs to be read multiple times.—Horn Book, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 10/01/2020

PreS-Gr 3—In a three-story apartment building with attic space and a cut-away front like a dollhouse, readers watch as the creatures living in the seven units go about their daily routines. Except today is special: It's Little Rabbit's birthday, a family of cats is moving into one of the apartments, Momma Fox is about to deliver a baby, and Mr. Bear is sick with a cold. As an owl beds down for the day, all the critters are busy, busy, busy. The rambunctious mice children are especially fun to watch as they make one mess after another with their active play. Even Red Riding Hood, Big Bad Wolf, Goldilocks, and the Three Little Pigs make an appearance (so it helps, but is not necessary, if the reader is familiar with those stories). A simple narrative enlists readers in the main events, but there is far more going on than just what's in the the text; observant, patient viewers will be rewarded with details that amuse but also provide clues about how every family lives. The size of the illustrations, full of tiny details, make the book most appropriate for one or two to share, offering opportunities for rich discussion. There are numerous ways to enjoy the book: follow one character throughout the pages, check out the details in each apartment, notice the play and interactions of the children, or stick to the main events. VERDICT The reward is in entering the book again and again.—Maggie Chase, Boise State Univ., ID

School Library Journal

2020-07-28
One day’s worth of activities—and some special events—in the lives of various anthropomorphized animals sharing an apartment building are described and displayed in this French-Canadian import.

Each double-page spread, beginning with the cover, shows a cutaway view of the four-story building. Two to four sentences per view offer dialogue and descriptions, with much of the straightforward text centering on the Rabbit family. Several parallel narratives are briefly referred to though they occur primarily in the illustrations. Friends and family celebrate Little Rabbit’s birthday; the Cat family moves in; Mr. Bear is sick in bed; the Fox family welcomes a new member; Little Hedgehog eagerly awaits his father’s return; the “rascally Mouse triplets” raise havoc; an owl attempts to get a good day’s rest; and a mischievous little ghost takes an unexpected trip to the first floor before returning to the dark attic. In addition, several fairy-tale characters make cameo appearances, and a bird family has their own little adventure, providing even more reasons to pore over the pictures. Pastel colors and a relatively limited palette give the detailed illustrations, reminiscent of Allan Ahlberg’s and Richard Scarry’s, a light touch and keep them from feeling too busy. The cozy setting and the characters’ smiling faces and round red cheeks help to set the cheerful tone and make the friendly coexistence of predators and prey believable. (This book was reviewed digitally with 14-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Dubuc’s delightful domestic dramas will entertain children and adults alike. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews