This house
is round,
like the Earth,
and the Sun,
and the Moon.

So begins this lyrical, simply told tale about a mud home which sits surrounded by a round yard (the desert) and protected by a multi-hued fence (the mountains). Although we never see the narrator, we do see in close detail the animals—both large and small—which share the house and the surrounding environment: bugs, cats, birds, snakes, mice, and more. The flora too is seen, "from the giant cacti, to the smallest blades of grass."

The illustrations, done in watercolor, are stunning—awash with light and the colors of the southwest.

The bilingual book (with both Spanish and English appearing on the page) works well as a read-aloud and equally as well as a read-alone for beginning readers.

Highly recommended.

Reviewed by the teachers at Education Oasis
©2005 Education Oasis http://www.educationoasis.com