The book review was originally written once upon a Wednesday and somehow got lost and forgotten. From the original post in October 2018: Another picture book today for you, and perfect for that popular Wednesday meme – Wordless Wednesday. Mind you, this post is not wordless, just the book I am featuring 🙂 This book is called ‘A Boy and a House’ and is testimony to the fact that a picture is worth a thousand words.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

A picture is worth a thousand words, they say, and I happen to agree, even though I love words passionately! But then I also do think that not all pictures are worth a thousand words.

Some images are like a burst of poetry, capturing emotions and stories that words can only dream of expressing. They’re the kind that stop you in your tracks, the ones you could stare at for ages, and still find something new every time. Those are the ones that hold the thousand-word weight—or maybe even more. But like I said earlier, let’s be honest, not every picture tells a grand tale. Some are just…pictures. A snap here, a click there, with nothing much to say.

You know the ones—those blurry shots of the ground because you did not realize you had clicked those, or the random pics you took for some obscure reason you simply can’t remember. Sure, they serve a purpose, like reminding you of a quick lunch or an accidental slip of the phone, but they’re not exactly stirring the soul. In those cases, I think we’re allowed to dial back the word count, maybe to just a casual “oops” or a “that happened.” Not every picture is destined to be a masterpiece, and that’s okay.

Now let us look into the book that spurred this post, and one in which the pictures do tell a wondrous story, each one by itself, and together as well!

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Blast from the Past Now

A Boy and a House: Book Review

Book Description

When a little boy sees a cat slip into the open door of an apartment building, the temptation is too great: he follows the cat into the lobby.  Before continuing up the stairway, the boy picks up one of several discarded drawings that litter the floor.

Another open door awaits. Again, the boy follows the cat, this time into an apartment filled with books and toys. No one is there, but a table set for tea testifies to the fact that someone has been there recently. More drawings are scattered throughout, which the boy picks up one by one. With his pile of sketches in hand, he continues up several more staircases until he reaches an attic where a wonderful surprise awaits him.

The stunning illustrations in this wordless book invite the reader into a mysterious world that evokes the beauty of the past. Drawn by the light radiating from every open doorway, the boy lets his curiosity take him on an amazing journey of discovery, which young readers can elaborate with their own versions of the story.

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My Thoughts:

first thoughts

It visually portrays the curiosity of childhood, and it also shows that curiosity does not always kill the cat (and there is a cat here, of course!). And does it ever so sweetly with beautiful, whimsical, magical, detailed illustrations.  There are stories to be found in the details; do read the fine-print here – you will discover more tales (tails too!) The boy does not seem to get distracted much by all those details (except for doing one thing, as you can see later) but is focused on the light, on the cat (and I loved that!)

A look into the book

The book begins with the boy making his way down a street – Grimm Street. Maja Kastelic makes use of shadow and lights effectively to show all that is happening around the boy, on the street, and inside the buildings the boy is passing by. A trumpeter, a lady getting ready for an evening out maybe, mice darting about and having animated conversations, and so much more. And then the boy approaches the house – #34 on Andersen Street. The open door, the lighted house, and the cat, are enough to evoke his curiosity, and he enters.

His journey through that seemingly empty but maybe occupied house takes him through rooms filled with with toys, and books, and all we can expect to see in any home, and with scattered drawings waiting to be picked up. As he continues through, what will he discover? Go ahead and order the book here for yourself to find out!

As I went through it a second time, and then many more second times with others (my teen and tween), I discovered new surprises each time. Looking through it with my kids’ eyes opened up other avenues of imagination.

Being wordless makes this book widely accessible – no barriers of language or age. Delightful and detailed illustrations open up a world full of possibilities. The sepia-toned art adds a touch of nostalgia to the whole experience. And also inspires us to write our own left-untold stories as we walk through these vintage-style pages.

About the Author:

Maja Kastelic was born in Slovenia, where she studied painting, philosophy, and the theory of visual arts. She worked for several years as a retouching artist restoring frescos before starting her career in children publishing. Maja received a White Raven Award and selected for the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition.

You can read about Maja’s creative process for this book – and with lots of interesting facts and details as well about the process – here. (warning: this link will tell you lots about the book!! But I am glad I found it. I have discovered more wonderful artists and books)

Possible activities:

• Play an I Spy game. Note down details on each page and research them. I found a few fascinating facts and have more details to go through yet. And as a game to play with you, dear readers, here is something I have. Here is my list of discoveries from the book so far  – you can open it up at a later date to do a compare and send me a note to let me know what you found so I can add it to my list.
• Take turns at writing down your own stories and compare them.
• Maybe, each of you can write down what you think happens on single pages and then put them together for a totally different take on the tale.

So, should you get it? Yes, I would say one for yourself and one(or more) to gift to that budding illustrator and/or that imaginator in your life.

Rating: A+ / Reread Level: 5/5 / Reading Level: 4-7 years (but I say all ages!)

Thank you to Annick Press Ltd. and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

Note: Originally written as a series for the Ultimate Blog Challenge and Write 31 Days.  31 Days, 31 Books! This was Day Three. [Day 0 Day 1  Day 2]

Reads and More Related to a Boy and a House

Back to the future – well, present – now, and to what I want to add in 2024 🙂

Since that time, I have come across other books by Maja Kastelic, and loved each one. One of them is: Hans Christian Andersen : The Journey of His Life.

Other picture books (some with words, others wordless) that are to do with either a boy and/or a house:

• The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (loved this one when I first read it last year)
• A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog (I have always enjoyed Mercer Mayer books and this one is no different!)
• The Boy and the Elephant (Oh my! So very sweet!)
• The Boy & the Book: [a wordless story]  (Adorable is the word for this one)
• Farmhouse (I love Sophie Blackall and her books!)
• The Little House (It is Virginia Lee Burton after all)
• The Napping House (this one is stunning and so very unique)
• A House is a House for Me (oh the details in this read!)
• Come Over to My House (shows different types of houses)

And Now, the End of This Post

Dear reader, have you read this book? Your thoughts on the same? Or any similar reads? Do share your opinions and let me know