A House That Once Was

by Julie Fogliano, Lane Smith (Illustrator)

Overview

The dynamic duo of Ezra Jack Keats Award–winning author Julie Fogliano and Caldecott Award–winning illustrator Lane Smith team up to tell a delightful story about a boy and a girl who explore an abandoned house and imagine who might have lived there in A House That Once Was.

Deep in the woods
is a house
just a house
that once was
but now isn’t
a home.

Who lived in that house? Who walked down its hallways? Why did they leave it, and where did they go?

Two children set off to find the answers, piecing together clues found, books left behind, forgotten photos, discarded toys, and creating their own vision of those who came before.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626723146
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	05/01/2018
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	135,676
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Julie Fogliano is the New York Times–bestselling author of And Then It’s Spring and If You Want to See a Whale, as well as the poetry collection, When Green Becomes Tomatoes. Recipient of the 2013 Ezra Jack Keats Award, her books have been translated into more than ten languages. Julie lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband and three children. When she is not folding laundry or wondering what to make for dinner, she is staring out the window waiting for a book idea to fly by.

Lane Smith is the award-winning author of Grandpa Green, It's a Book, There Is a Tribe of Kids, and his most recent, A Perfect Day, among others. In 2012, the Eric Carle Museum named him a Carle Artist for "lifelong innovation in the field of children's picture books," and in 2014, he was awarded the lifetime achievement award from the Society of Illustrators. He lives in an old house in Connecticut with the designer Molly Leach.

Editorial Reviews

If You Want to See A Whale:

“Fogliano's words are carved and measured. This is a writer who takes her time, and the leaps she makes with language surprise and thrill.” —The New York Times

“A gorgeous love song to the imagination . . . It's breathtaking . . . Fans will be waiting.” —Booklist, starred review

“Readers will gape at the two enormous, whale-sized talents at work in this transfixing picture book.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

And Then It's Spring:

“In an understated and intimate partnership, Fogliano and Stead conjure late winter doldrums and the relief of spring's arrival, well worth the wait.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Many treasures lie buried within this endearing story, in which humor and anxious anticipation sprout alongside one another.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Fogliano's poetic yet grounded narrative is reminiscent of Charlotte Zolotow's picture-book texts in its understatement and straightforward, childlike observations.” —The Horn Book, starred review

Grandpa Green:

“[Lane Smith's] illustrations, a blend of line drawings and sponge painting, have a classic feel, and make clever use of the topiary theme, rewarding close examination and repeated reading.” —The New Yorker

“Lush and magical.” —People

“An unassuming little masterpiece . . . The book's power lies in its rich, allusive artistry.” —New York Times Book Review

“It's a rare glimpse into Smith's softer side—as skillful as his more sly offerings, but crafted with honesty and heart.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Visually intriguing and emotionally resonant, this is a book to pore over and talk about.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Sketched with a finely lined fairy-tale wispiness and dominated by verdant green, the illustrations are not just creative but poignant.” —Booklist

From the Publisher