The Blue House

Starred review from June 22, 2020
“Leo lived with his dad in an old blue house next to a tall fir tree” in a neighborhood that’s being redeveloped. One day Leo’s father comes to fetch him at school; they get ice cream and visit the beach. “I got a letter from the landlord today,” Leo’s dad says. “They’ve sold our house, and it’s going to be torn down.” When Leo gets home, he’s so angry he shuts himself in his room. But he gets hungry eventually, and, after dinner, his dad plays electric guitar, and Leo jumps on the couch: “They danced and stomped and raged, together.” Leo has long brown hair and rosy cheeks, and his father wears a beard and a solemn expression. Wahl (Paper Mice) makes both characters distinctive and sympathetic, and devotes loving attention to every spread. Toys on the floor, berries in the garden, the pattern of the couch fabric—she conjures up all the coziness that Leo and his father don’t want to let go. In their new place, though, Leo sees that it’s their presence that makes things cozy. Wahl portrays a father who’s supportive and honest (“I’m angry, too,” he says), and who helps his son ride a wave of emotions and land safely on the other side. Ages 4–8. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary.

Starred review from July 1, 2020

K-Gr 3-Leo and his father live in an old blue house. It has peeling paint, "leaks and creaks," and the heater breaks on snowy days, but it's their home and they manage by baking pies and dancing to keep themselves warm. Gentrification comes to their neighborhood, and eventually the landlord calls to tell them the house has been sold and will be torn down. Leo and his dad pack and move to a new house, where they find a way to celebrate the memory of their old blue house. Wahl's illustrations render the scenes with loving specificity, while the cover pays homage to Virginia Lee Burton's classic The Little House. The passage of time can be followed in the details, with "For Sale" signs giving way to a "Sold" sign next door on the very first page. While nothing in the text points out that the family isn't wealthy, as soon as readers see the leaky roof and the use of the oven to keep warm, they'll know the story. Hand-lettered text adds to the richness of the detailed illustrations.This powerfully relevant, moving portrayal of a loving single-parent family during a period of unexpected change and transition is a must-have for any collection. VERDICT With loving details that radiate off the page, exquisite pacing, and a child's perspective on the bad thing that is happening, this is recommended to share widely, and with anyone who has ever had to move.-Amanda Foulk, Sacramento P.L.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2020
Preschool-G *Starred Review* Leo and his father live in a rickety old blue house with leaks, creaks, and peeling paint. Once, after the heater broke, they baked a pie just to warm up the kitchen. Learning that their landlord has sold the property and they must move, Leo is angry. So is his dad, who plays his electric guitar while Leo does a scream solo. They dance, stomp, and rage together until they feel a little better. After moving to the new house, they paint a picture of the old one on a wall in Leo's room. And gradually, as they unpack, bake a pie, and play music, the new place begins to feel like home. While there's no shortage of picture books about moving, many are best suited to preschoolers, and most focus on missing old friends and making new ones, rather than losing a place so central to a child's life that it feels irreplaceable. Refreshingly candid in portraying the intense feelings that sometimes accompany the experience of moving, the text shows how candor, camaraderie, and artistic expression can be helpful in coping with them. The vibrant illustrations, created with watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, and collage, feature deep colors and expressive drawings of characters. An emotionally resonant picture book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2020
Wahl's picture book tells an affecting story about loss and starting over. In it, interdependent text and art channel a Molly Bang-like artistic style (and emotional intelligence) to follow Leo and his dad, occupants of the ever-so-humble titular blue house. "The paint was peeling and the roof was mossy. There were leaks and creaks. And when the wind blew, the whole thing shook. But it was theirs." Leo and his dad's easy companionability and resourceful attitude toward making-do in their old house present a picture of father-son idyll. (And it's notable to see a single-father, working-class household represented.) Then gentrification arrives in their neighborhood, undercutting the small family's sense of security in their house as "theirs." The landlord's letter seals their fate: the blue house has been sold and is slated for demolition. They must move. Leo's anger at this news shifts the emotional tone, and earlier scenes of joyful living-room dance parties give way to Leo's "special scream solo" as his dad "shreds" on guitar. The calm after this storm is occupied by packing, and then by a healing act of painting pictures on the bare walls of the blue house to say goodbye. This moment anticipates a supremely satisfying conclusion when Leo and his dad find a way to make their new house feel like a home, and themselves less blue.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2020
Wahl's picture book tells an affecting story about loss and starting over. In it, interdependent text and art channel a Molly Bang-like artistic style (and emotional intelligence) to follow Leo and his dad, occupants of the ever-so-humble titular blue house. "The paint was peeling and the roof was mossy. There were leaks and creaks. And when the wind blew, the whole thing shook. But it was theirs." Leo and his dad's easy companionability and resourceful attitude toward making-do in their old house present a picture of father-son idyll. (And it's notable to see a single-father, working-class household represented.) Then gentrification arrives in their neighborhood, undercutting the small family's sense of security in their house as "theirs." The landlord's letter seals their fate: the blue house has been sold and is slated for demolition. They must move. Leo's anger at this news shifts the emotional tone, and earlier scenes of joyful living-room dance parties give way to Leo's "special scream solo" as his dad shreds" on guitar. The calm after this storm is occupied by packing, and then by a healing act of painting pictures on the bare walls of the blue house to say goodbye. This moment anticipates a supremely satisfying conclusion when Leo and his dad find a way to make their new house feel like a home, and themselves less blue. Megan Dowd Lambert

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from May 15, 2020
A father and son are forced from their longtime neighborhood. Leo and his dad love their rented "old blue house" despite its quirks (peeling paint, a mossy roof, leaks and creaks). The house is filled with so many memories that make it theirs. In the winter, the duo make cozy forts and bake pies to warm up when the old heater breaks. They dance to "Spruce Springsteel" on vinyl. As the garden fills with raspberries and tomatoes in the summer, Leo plays in the yard until sundown. But, lately, developers have been building "big, new apartments" nearby. Their landlord informs Leo's dad that the blue house is next to be torn down. Leo and his dad dance, stomp, and rage together. Will their new home ever feel the same? Wahl's latest is a moving portrait of a single-parent family's resilience and love amid redevelopment. The textured, deeply colorful art utilizes collage, and the text appears handwritten, giving the rich spreads the feel of a scrapbook. The detailed illustrations enrich not only the memories, but the characters' colorful personalities and relationship. The third-person narrative's tight connection to Leo and his emotions positions the text as Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House retold for a new generation. Endpapers depict Leo's neighborhood before and after redevelopment, effectively showing the impact. Both Leo and his dad present white. An absolute treasure for anyone who has ever moved. (Picture book. 4-8)

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