Picture Book of the Day: This Is Our House

Picture Book of the Day:  This Is Our House, by Hyewon Yum

In this delightful story, a young girl shows how important her cozy house is.  The first spread shows her immigrant grandparents arriving at the front doorstep, suitcases in hand.  The girl's mother is born and the reader follows the child through a variety of milestones (learning how to walk) and day-to-day activities.  The charming child-friendly illustrations capture the loving antics of the mom and her siblings as they grow up, sipping warm soup in the kitchen, running down the stair to go to school.  Soon the mother grows up, leaves for college, and returns home with "the boyfriend who would be (the narrator's) father."  We then see the couple preparing a room in a house for the narrator's arrival.  After the narrator is born, the reader enjoys watching her go through many of the same milestones as her mother.  This poignant book has a surprising power that makes it feel universal.  And although it is serene, filled with little gentle moments, Yum laces the illustrations with comical details that make this intergenerational slice of life story accessible for young readers.