My Father's House

Reviewed by Cayden (age 3-1/2) and Max (age 20-months) Aures and Mom for Reader Views (5/08) Based on John 14:2, "In my Father's house there are many mansions," the book goes on to explore the many homes of different animals such as bears, bullfrogs, starfish and artic foxes. Cayden: Looking at the cover: "I don't think deer and bunnies live in houses but I know three little pigs that do." Cayden: "Whippoorwills are birds." Cayden: "Where is the spider?" Cayden: "There he is- he's catching raindrops! Look, there are three!" Max: "Spider! Three!" Max: "Rainbow" Cayden: "Look at the rainbow! Let's name the colors." Cayden: "Look! There is a constellation like in my Dora sticker book from the Easter Bunny!" Cayden: "My favorite page is the one with the coyotes because they say "Aaawoooo" and because there is a picture of a rainbow and a moon!" Parent's comments: "My Father's House" is illustrated by Raul Colon with beautiful detail. My children enjoyed looking at all of the animals and their habitats and learning that even though they don't live in houses they still have homes. The text is very poetic and even though my children did not understand what some of the verses meant they still got the general gist of the book. The text and illustrations are very unique and are successful in passing along an important message to our children.

The lyrical text and beautiful illustrations blend together to make a gorgeous book full of appreciation for our natural world. A perfect gift book for anyone who wants to celebrate the blessings of life and Earth.

Kathi Appelt's poetic picture book My Father's House, with gorgeous illustrations by Raul Colon and the author's heartfelt thank you to Al Gore, gently and warmly reminds us that we are all guardians of the Earth. And while a Bible verse launches the book, there's an almost Native American feel to the text, an embracing of the natural world and our humble place in it, reflecting Appelt's own view that we are all natives of this planet.

My Father's House is a stunning example of beautiful poetry by Kathi Appelt and exquisite artistry by Raul Colon. Based on the bible verse John 14:2, "In my Father's house are many mansions," Appelt creates a soul-stirring interpretation of these mansions by using four-line stanzas to feature the different landscapes and backdrops of the Earth's natural characteristics. For example, in My Father's House, we read, "For the Tundra with its ballroom filled with dancing northern lights, I'll watch the arctic foxes in their finest coats of white." As for the illustrations, they are incredible! Raul Colon works with soft hues and comforting shapes that are sure to soothe the child's eye and entice them into enjoying each room that Appelt showcases in her poetry. What our family loved about this book was the writer's ability to take a bible verse and make it mean so much more. When we look at life in the context of our own private understanding, versus looking at the world as a whole, we prevent ourselves from learning and growing. But if we take the opportunity to combine God's word with Appelt's verse and Colon's artistry, we're given a chance to praise our Father for the beauty he has set before us and embrace a world greater than our own front door. Armchair Interviews says: Beautiful words and beautiful illustrations to tell a wonderful story.