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Yes, within reason. I don't think that all kids are ready to deal with whatever subject matter we want to lob at them obviously. My five-year-old is wild for horror. He loves scary stuff so I read him scary stories (I love horror too). But I won't read him Otto in the Tomi Ungerer anthology I just bought because it's about the Holocaust and we're Jewish and he's five. I don't think it's time for that conversation yet. For some other five-year-old and his mom it wouldn't be time for horror yet either. We're all different and we're entitled to set our own boundaries and make our own judgement calls. So it's probably too simple to say that kids "get it" and we should be exposing them to more difficult stuff. But, yes, I do think in general we tend to shelter them more than they want or need when it comes to books. I also think that in general we expect books for kids to have some kind of moral takeaway, some lesson to learn and I think that's a bummer. Books are art and when we make them for children they should reflect what makes literature and visual art wonderful to us, as adults. Of course some books should teach lessons. But some shouldn't. The handwritten type in your books add to their style. Though not strictly calligraphic, the source is evident with your distinctive art. How did you come to that choice and do you anticipate always using your own hand-drawn type? Carson Ellis, an illustrator known for her work on her musician/author husband Colin Meloy's album covers and novels, makes her solo debut with this picture-book, which profiles a variety of homes, realistic and imaginary. From houses in the country to apartments in the city, from living underwater to living on the road, a diverse range of homes is profiled here: identified in simple statements, and depicted in lovely folk-art illustrations. A simple yet deep look at homes... This is a great vocabulary builder as you talk about all the homes — what makes them the same and what makes them different.

A dreamy, painterly meditation on the diversity and range of dwellings around the world and across time and imagination. … The text encourages the reader to participate (“But whose home is this? And what about this?”), and the cover illustration further extends the options of where we can live. All the choices are warmly inviting. The homes follow one after the other in a related progression with simple lyrics that have a Dr. Seuss-like feel. They convey all that is necessary. A simple yet deep look at homes… This is a great vocabulary builder as you talk about all the homes — what makes them the same and what makes them different. Enchanting and accessible, "Home" is an instant classic for the K-3 set and a thoughtful Northwest-grown gift.

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Noah can see patterns in the dust when it sparkles in the sunlight. And if he puts his nose to the ground, he can smell the “green tang of the ants in the grass.” His most favorite thing of all, however, is to read. Noah has endless curiosity about how and why things work. Books open the door to those answers. But there is one question the books do not explain. When the wind comes whistling by, where does it go? Noah decides to find out. In a chase that has a slight element of danger—wind, after all, is unpredictable—Noah runs down streets, across bridges, near a highway, until the wind lifts him off his feet. Cowman’s gusty wisps show each stream of air turning a different jewel tone, swirling all around. The ribbons gently bring Noah home, setting him down under the same thinking tree where he began. Did it really happen? Worthington’s sensitive exploration leaves readers with their own set of questions and perhaps gratitude for all types of perspective. An author’s note mentions children on the autism spectrum but widens to include all who feel a little different. Ellis presents a dreamy, painterly meditation on the diversity and range of dwellings around the world and across time and imagination. -- Sarah Ellis The Horn Book Magazine Ellis’s artwork, evocative of folklore and fairytales, may seem familiar because of her illustrations for the book series "Wildwood Chronicles," written by Ellis’s husband, Colin Meloy. (One of the pictures - of a home in an apartment - shows some graffiti: “I love CM.”) Discussion: I could spend hours looking at the pictures in this book, ferreting out half-hidden delightful details. Curious kids will want to seek out more information from her tantalizing taste of other worlds. I imagine kids might want to know, to name but a few things: What is this Atlantis that looks so intriguing? What is the story behind the gourd birdhouses shown in Kenya? How can I find out more about the seahorses that live in “sea homes”? Who might live on a mountain top? A dreamy, painterly meditation on the diversity and range of dwellings around the world and across time and imagination. ... The text encourages the reader to participate (“But whose home is this? And what about this?”), and the cover illustration further extends the options of where we can live. All the choices are warmly inviting.

Her sly humor and irreverent spirit only endear her to kids and grown-ups alike. -- John Lithgow * New York Times Sunday Book Review * Assuming you have had the opportunity to read Du Iz Tak?to kids in schools or on your book tours, what was their reaction to the text? Do they ask you to translate it for them? Do they come up with their own meaning? Have you learned anything unexpected about your book from these experiences? Arrestingly illustrated… Ellis, in her picture-book debut, draws with simplicity and precision, yet there are often so many fanciful details that second and third looks will come naturally. … The whole effect makes the pictures seem like frameable art.stars. This is a beautiful book full of different types of homes. We loved the cover which shows homes such as a yurt, a barn, a caravan, a geodesic dome, a shoe with a roof, a snail shell....if my children were younger we would have loved to sit and look at this and decide which one we liked best and who we thought would live in each one. It's an usual book and the first foray by Carson Ellis into writing (I've always liked her illustrations). I think it's the kind of book that deserves a place on every preschooler's shelf. Love it. You created the illustration for the Picture Book Proclamation, which we featured in our interview with your friend and author Mac Barnett. We asked him the following question: Have you observed any changes that make you hopeful about the creation of children's books going forward? Carson, what are your thoughts on this? There is a show of your personal work at The Nationale Gallery in Portland, Oregon. We're interested in how your art supports and complements your illustration work for picture books.