THE HOUSE OF GRASS AND SKY, by Mary Lyn Ray and E. B. Goodale, Candlewick; Illustrated edition, April 13, 2021, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 4-8)
The House of Grass and Sky, by Mary Lyn Ray and illustrated by E. B. Goode, follows the ups and downs of a house through time.
Every house has a story. This house — an old one hunkered in the deep grass below a wide country sky — is a waiting house. Once it was full of laughter and song. The sounds of life rang within its walls. Now it stands quiet and still. The house has sheltered many families over the years and remembers them fondly, especially the children. New families arrive to look, but none stay. Perhaps the house, too, now belongs to the Long Ago and Used to Be? Or will the “right” family move in to honor its past and build new memories? —Synopsis provided by Candlewick
The House of Grass and Sky immediately brings to mind Virginia Lee Burton’s The Little House. Both follow a house through the passage of time. And both call to mind a simpler time.
In The House of Grass and Sky, author Mary Lyn Ray takes advantage of passive and active voice, switching from remembering to making new memories. It works well with her poetic text, causing the reader to pause when the shift occurs.
E. B. Goodale’s gorgeous illustrations have an impressionistic flair that offer hints of what was and could be. The lovely spreads are sure to draw in adult and children alike.
