This book tells a story about a family who has lived in one house for several generations. The family has many traditions and major events that have occurred in this house. The house and the traditions it holds is very important to the family. The book starts off with an immigrant family and then progresses onto the family of the little girl girl who is telling the story. This book could be integrated into social studies curriculum to talk about generations of families. This would invite students to think about their own family and generations. They could make the connection between where their family is now and where it began. We could then make family trees to visualize the students' thoughts.(Realistic Fiction) This Is Our House does a great job exploring family, history, and culture in a way that is friendly to children (and adults!). I loved the end pages, which read as snapshots of the family's life on yellowed floral wallpaper. Each page of the story of the family features another framed snapshot, as well as a full page illustration of the family members in action. We follow the story of their home, where her grandparents lived when they moved to America, and where she lives now with her parents and grandparents, as told by their young daughter.I loved the featuring of a non-traditional family that is somewhat the new norm. The family immigrated to the US, and remained obviously very close as they are living together in the same house. The daughter seems to relish in the history, and the snapshots throughout the book remind us that we are peering into the life that the grandparents have created for the children, grandchildren, and generations in the future. I would use this book in an lower-grade elementary classroom to discuss different shapes and sizes of families and homes, and explore family relationships.
What do You think about This Is Our House (2013)?
A simple book following a family though seasons and life moments. Lovely illustrations.
—felicia2015
A sense of history of a family living in the same house over several generations.
—Schaferjean5
Lovely inter generational family story.
—fruitcakey
