Little Houses by Kevin Henkes, Laura Dronzek
Published by Greenwillow Books on May 24, 2022
ISBN: 0062965727
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Natural curiosity is the theme that evolves throughout this picture book. Youngsters who have walked along a seashore beach are sure to identify with the illustrations and text. Those children who are not familiar with a seaside environment are in for a delightful experience as they stroll along with generic grandparents. Henkes catches the sounds of the sea as he develops the story to embrace what critters live within shells and wonder what lives below the surf. The second part of this book shares a sense of wonder as the young girl expresses her desire to know more. She and the audience are charmed by everything they have seen and want to learn more. The illustrations which were painted by Dronzek offer a birds-eye view of a perfect stretch of sandy beach. Color is used to emphasis the text and the animals are mostly in good proportion to the characters. Each shell is correctly drawn and most of the other marine species are accurately shown. One double page spread however shows a marine mammal (whale) that is incorrectly referred to as a big fish. Best of all is the emphasis placed on only removing from the beach shells that have no critters living in them.

This is a good book for primary grade nature study and great for families who love outdoor activities. May all children have the opportunity to view little marine houses and be able to take a couple empty shells home, if allowed by beach rules. Primary and nursery schools located in states that have ocean coastline should add this title to their picture book shelves. Public libraries ought to seriously consider including this book in their collections for families who have access to seaside beaches.

Reviewed by Jan Hamilton, retired Youth Services Librarian