This book is sending off calming, country vibes with historic warmth...and I thought it'd be fun to open it up and see what's inside. (I'm keeping it short and sweet today.)
So, let's do that!
THE HOME WE DREAMED
by Anca Sandu Budisan
Quill Tree Books
Picture Book
40 pages
ages 4 to 8
Part Virgina Lee Burton's The Little House, part Yuyi Morales's Dreamers, this heartfelt, lyrical, and expansive story charts the history of a house that becomes the center of one generation, then the next, and then the next, told from the point of view of a grandchild who remembers spending her summers there.
All my grandparents had left was a small plot of land next to a river.
That’s where they built their home.
From soil to straw to bricks, readers will follow along with a couple, living in Communist Romania, who build their own home, raise a family, and watch—page by page—as the world around them changes. Narrated by the future grandchild of this couple, this story shows multiple generations raised in this home, the environmental and political changes happening around its plot of land, and the continuous love sprouting from its walls.
MY TIDBITS
Warmth mixes with the difficulties of growing up in Communist Romania to form a heartfilled read which highlights the wonder of perseverance.
The author bases these pages on her own experiences, making it an autobiography. Still, she sets the illustrations in such a way to add distance and let the listener/reader sink into the moments of the young child's narration. Starting with the building of the house by the grandparents, each brick even formed by their own hands, the main center is formed to give a constant ground while the people in the house come and go, and face the difficulties life brings. While this takes place in historic Romania, it doesn't fall into a detailed naming of events, individuals, or the like. Rather, it presents the movements, emotions, and changes in the family's life.
The entire book is presented from the view of a child peeking back at a type of memory album filled with photos, memorabilia and other items. This album sits in the center of each two-page spread as if open on a table. The child's arms and hands are visible as if it flips through each page. Everything is illustrated, but it holds a realistic and aged flair to bring this child's look into its relatives' past a sense of authenticity. It's easy to sink into the hard but calming life. While difficult situations arrive, the author delivers the worry and tension but never lets it outweigh the wholesomeness of the family warmth. So, the read never grows overly heavy, either. It does a lovely job at bringing across the life and culture of the past, while ending it in the present, so listeners/readers see that life there has changed like the rest of the modern world. It also brings it back to familiarity to lock in the last part of the journey. The text guides the listener/reader along and follows the child's explanation of the past.
This works best for single reading sessions or for those readers who are very sure of their words to pick up on their own. I wouldn't recommend it for group settings simply because the details of the illustrations would be difficult from a distance to sink into and see. This would work especially well in classrooms with a fitting theme, since it dives not only into the life of Communist Romania but also presents struggles individuals in other countries have faced. I also see this as a better fit for the upper end of the intended age group.
It's a lovely read with quite a bit of depth, cultural goodness, broadens empathy and understanding, and shows the strength of family.
And here she is...
Anca Sandu Budisan was born in eastern Romania. At age 2 she was “discovered” by her grandma as a perfect circle “drawer,” and subsequently started a career as the artist of the family. In school, her passion for drawing helped her overcome her introversion. This still works today.
Anca received her master's in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art, in the UK. She is the author-illustrator of Churchill’s Tale of Tails, as well as other books about pigs, good monsters, sheep, gnus and shrews, and funny birds. She now lives in Beaverton, OR, along with her husband and their gray cat, Mango. Anca loves collecting books, perusing estate sales for the next treasure, and cooking fruit.
Anca received her master's in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art, in the UK. She is the author-illustrator of Churchill’s Tale of Tails, as well as other books about pigs, good monsters, sheep, gnus and shrews, and funny birds. She now lives in Beaverton, OR, along with her husband and their gray cat, Mango. Anca loves collecting books, perusing estate sales for the next treasure, and cooking fruit.
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