Home

Sweet home! 

THREE PROS

*Jeannie Baker's idea to vary the collages inside the window frame to make you feel like you are looking outside at snippets across a lifetime is simply wonderful  

*Love the transformation from rundown neighborhood to urban renewal she incorporates into the scenes -- gives the book a nice secondary thread running behind the girl growing up
*What little girl isn't going to like a story that ends with a wedding and a baby

THREE CONS 

*This screams Buy to me for both logical and emotional reasons; but I just can't quite get to a place in my mind where I could see myself pulling out my wallet and swiping my credit card 
*As a member of the Green Party, I fully support what she was trying to do to with all of the plant life toward the end -- that said, too many of the bushes and grass patches looked like they needed a good watering and some serious attention from a landscaper 

*It looks like the lady moving the furniture on the intro page has a full Amish beard (I doubt this was the author's intention)

ONE DAD'S OPINION
If I was teaching a course on picture books, I have no doubt that I would reference Home as a perfect example of when going wordless makes sense.  Baker's collages tell the (very relatable to everyone) story all by themselves.  Furthermore, the items she chose to put on the windowsill in each snapshot do a great job of framing what stage in life the family has reached.  Taken on the whole, this is a book you need to get your hands on.  So I don't know why I am having such a problem awarding it a Buy. You know what, forget what I said in my first con -- sometimes you just need to stop overthinking things and Buy something that makes you happy...      

BUY / Borrow / Donate / Destroy