A House is a House for Me
By Mary Ann Hoberman
The Story
A rhyming romp through everything that counts as a house — anthills, dog kennels, corn husks, pea pods — and eventually the surprising idea that a shoe, a mirror, even a word, might have a house too.
Why It's Special
For the kid who asks 'why' about everything and never runs out of questions, this book answers one they didn't even know to ask: what makes a house a house?
- Big idea: The world is full of hidden homes, and looking closely at ordinary things reveals surprising connections between them.
- Vibes: Playful, cumulative, and gently mind-bending — like a game of categories that keeps expanding.
Perfect For Kids Who
- love rhyming and predicting the next line
- enjoy spotting patterns in everyday things
- are working on noticing categories and comparisons
- like to pore over detailed pictures again and again
Ask Your Little Reader
- Imagination: What's the most surprising house you remember from the book — was it the pea pod, or something else?
- Real-life connection: What kind of house do you live in, and how is it the same or different from the animals' houses?
- Wordplay: Can you think of your own rhyme for a house that isn't in the book?
- Observation: Which picture did you want to look at the longest, and why?
