When a young girl visits her grandparents in their small house on the beach, she and her grandma look for shells every morning. They only keep the empty ones because shells are “little houses” for living things. The girl (light-brown-skinned) imagines the empty shells as rooms. She wonders who might have lived in them and whether there is a ghost inside. She also wonders about where the shells came from, what’s under the water in the ocean, how old the rocks are, and how deep the water is and why it can be so many colors at once. “I’d like to know what a pelican thinks of a sandpiper, and if a snow egret has ever seen snow.” Her grandpa assures her that someday she’ll know it all. For now, she knows this: She will take some of the little houses home to her own house. Her favorite will have a special place. “A house in a house in the world.” The measured, artful text moves from intimacy (the space inside a shell, family) to expansiveness (big ideas, big world) before returning to the comfort of home. The richly hued illustrations, done with acrylic pen and ranging from double-page spreads to a series of oval images, echo this duality of expansiveness and security in a picture book quietly illuminating the ways in which a shell, and the world, and the mind of a child all contain wonders. Highly Commended, 2023 Charlotte Zolotow Award ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center     (Ages 3-7)

From award-winning and bestselling author Kevin Henkes and the acclaimed painter Laura Dronzek, Little Houses is an unforgettable masterpiece about nature, family, wonder, and the ocean. The lyrical writing and stunning paintings make this a great choice for family sharing and for story times all year round.

When a young girl visits her grandparents at the beach, she stays in a little house and walks along the shore gathering seashells--which were once little houses of their own. As she wanders the beach, she wonders about the creatures who used to live in each shell, about the hidden treasures of the sea, and about the mysteries of the world.

Kevin Henkes's text features striking imagery, depth of emotion, and a lovely multigenerational relationship. He deftly captures the feeling of wonder and imagination that is fostered by a trip to the shore. Laura Dronzek's lush, saturated paintings make this book a true treasure for parents and children, and a must-have for the classroom.