“Tender, comforting, and complex.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Drawn with exquisite precision and quiet dashes of humor.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A lovely, ruminative selection.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
“A blueprint for mindfulness and gratitude for the homes in which we…live.” —The New York Times Book Review

Deborah Freedman’s masterful new picture book is at once an introduction to the pieces of a house, a cozy story to share and explore, and a dreamy meditation on the magic of our homes and our world.

Before there was this house,
there were stones,
and mud,
and a colossal oak tree—
three hugs around
and as high as the blue.

What was your home, once?

This poetically simple, thought-provoking, and gorgeously illustrated book invites readers to think about where things come from and what nature provides. 216800359 "Combining lyrical language and cozy mixed-media artwork, Freedman celebrates the elements of the natural world (oak, stones, mud, rocks, and sand) used in the construction of a house.... Dreamy and imaginative."