FARMHOUSE

Sophie Blackall hits it out of the park with this stunning new picture book. As she explains in her author's note in the back matter, this book was inspired by a real place and real people. The amount of work she went to to learn about the history of the people and house is astounding. The photographs included with the author's note provide a fascinating glimpse into the work that she did. As for the book itself, the poetic text shares with readers what life was like for those who lived in the farmhouse. The family she presents had 12 children and a working farm. This family comes through as a real life family with conflict, chores, and challenges. While the text is lovely and would be great for reading aloud, it's the pictures that truly blew me away. The incredible detail makes each spread well worth studying. The layering she used in her illustrations includes bits and pieces from the old house itself, making the reader feel as if they are holding a piece of the house in their hands. The intricate combination of paint and collage makes for illustrations that feel like they have real depth. I loved the way Blackall integrated her own journey into the story, showing the way that a place can touch many long after it's gone. I shall be very surprised if this book doesn't win awards with it's precision and beauty.

Oh my goodness. Just received this book. It brought tears, bringing back memories of my own family history. It left me wanting to hang on to treasured family moments that would be lost if it weren’t for the telling, through the generations. What a lovely way to share how important it is to keep our own family stories alive. Thank you, Sophie Blackall!

This book was such a joy to read! The story itself was so touching. Watching this house, and this family, grow and flourish from sunrise to sunset, it warmed my soul and also brought tears to my eyes. The illustrations were beautiful, and I love so much the ties to the history of the real house itself. Just a wonderful work of art. My son enjoyed looking back through each picture to see new details, had me vote on my favorite family member from the story (his was the cat), and requested we read it again tomorrow. We highly recommend it!

Really incredible and gorgeous book. I just want to ask the author/illustrator so many questions about how they created this work. Stunning!

This book had me in tears. It's a really moving story. The illustrations are so lovely. I have loved it.