By Christine McFaul
The House Next Door is a lovely new picture book (ages 3 - 6) by Canadian author/illustrator, Claudine Crangle.
“All alone, in an open field stood a house…”
For many years, a sturdy little house has stood in its field, stoically weathering the changing seasons, a harsh environment, and all manner of storms. But one day, change blows in the wind.
First, the little house notices several new buildings in the distance. Then, a road cuts through his field. Finally, more and more houses surround him. Nervous about these changes, the little house pulls in his shutters and bolts them tight.
Time passes but even in the shuttered dark, change continues. The little house notices he no longer feels pushed by snowdrifts or battered by storms and that those changes are not necessarily bad. Braced by this realization, the little house risks a quick peep through one of his shutters… and spots a house with a friendly curtain waving at him. It has a golden light glowing in its window, just like his. Having found this piece of common ground, the little house slowly opens himself back up to the new world around him. He is no longer alone but enveloped within a neighbourhood of houses: “big and small, beautiful, strange, solid, cobbled, high, low, narrow, wide, elegant, and fascinating.” They all wait together for what changes the wind might blow in next.
Crangle’s writing is charming and full of fun wordplay. The story is perfectly paced to give little house (and little readers!) a chance to explore and adjust to all the introduced changes. Taking its time to move from resistance to acceptance, gives the story a calming and hopeful effect—perfect for any readers who may be navigating changes in their own lives.
Crangle is a multimedia artist from Toronto and uses cardboard, paint, and fabric to create the vibrant illustrations in this book. They are as clever as her writing and strike a wonderful balance between presenting readers with interesting things to look at while always communicating the little house’s emotional journey. Two of my favourite spreads were one that shows an artistically rendered site plan and another that meanders alongside a street view of the little house’s new neighbourhood. Throughout the story, Crangle’s beautiful use of light and shadow mirrors the little house’s evolution from lonely and shuttered to open and accepting of change.
With a gentle touch, Crangle explores the themes of change, acceptance, and celebrating difference. The personification of the little house is perfectly rendered in words and pictures creating an endearing and relatable character. A beautiful book!
Thank you, Groundwood Books, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.