The Blue House

"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. (Aug.)

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.