House was lonely. It was all by itself without anyone to open its front door and enjoy the warm welcome inside. House felt ‘a lonely, stormy kind of feeling’ deep inside so, as if by magic it launched itself off its foundations and flew off across the world until it sensed a similar ‘lonely stormy kind of feeling’ in a young child.
The child enters the house and finds ‘a little shelter from the storm’, a place of safety and comfort, a place to hold those stormy feelings at bay. A place of comfy chairs, hot chocolate and marshmallows. And a friend to listen to your story and keep you safe and warm. And yet those stormy feelings remain and even grow and it’s scary. But house explains that the good and bad feelings and everything you feel inside may grow big but like all big storms they always pass eventually and in the brightness of morning the ‘dark and terrible world’ can look quite different perhaps even beautiful. House’s words and comfort give the young girl the confidence to step out into the world and both house and the girl discover a new and different feeling, a warm feeling that will always connect the two friends no matter the clouds and storms that may come.
‘House’ is a book with important themes expressed through the poetic language, metaphors and the detailed artwork created using gouache and digital editing. Throughout there are variations in light and dark that provide a reflection of the mental struggles felt by both the girl and House. The House itself is depicted as fantastical with myriad projections in its mazelike structure and as the young girl explores, she discovers more and more places and activities to help calm her inner turmoil and to grow in understanding and self-confidence.
“House’ was originally created for the stage by Don Giovannoni, Charlotte Lane and Luke Kerridge for Barking Gecko Theatre in Perth. The picture book format allows the greater exploration of the House as a central character with intricate more details than available as a stage prop. The endpapers deserve a special mention. They include objects in the house plus thank you notes from humans to the house for their support.
Loneliness, particularly among young people, is a growing problem, linked to, and exacerbating mental health issues. ‘House’ provides an excellent source for discussion regarding loneliness, its causes and ways to help those affected.
Picture Books for Older Readers
