A New York Times bestseller! Influential artist Carson Ellis makes her solo picture-book debut with a whimsical tribute to the many possibilities of home. Home might be a house in the country, an apartment in the city, or even a shoe. Home may be on the road or the sea, in the realm of myth, or in the artist’s own studio. A meditation on the concept of home and a visual treat that invites many return visits, this loving look at the places where people live marks the picture-book debut of Carson Ellis, acclaimed illustrator of the Wildwood series and artist for the indie band the Decemberists. K-Gr 2—The realistic, fanciful, and stereotypical merge in this picture book homage to the place we call home. Gouache-and-ink art featuring warm, earthy colors with splashes or spots of red illustrate the hand-lettered, simple text ("Home is a house in the country. Or home is an apartment." and later, "Sea homes. Bee homes. Hollow tree homes."). Familiar and unfamiliar (Kenya) and sometimes magical (Atlantis) settings inhabited by humans, animals, and mythical beings are included. The illustrations offer much to pore over and connections to be made. The dove that appears on the title page can be found throughout the book and the silhouette in an upstairs window of the house that appears on the first spread, reveals itself to be the hat of a girl on the final pages. The penultimate scene is that of an artist in her home surrounded by items familiar to readers (a weathervane, figure of a house, a ship in a bottle and a globe, and a piece of black-and-white fabric, and a pointed cap). These objects will give observant children pause and send them back to page one to see what other details and images are carried throughout the story. However, the Mideastern lair, the Japanese businessman's geometric home, a wigwam, and a pagoda, may give others pause for different reasons. VERDICT While skillfully rendered and artistically pleasing, this eclectic assortment of domiciles is hardly representational and is less than ideal for classroom usage.—Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal Arrestingly illustrated... Ellis, in her picture-book debut, draws with simplicity and precision, yet there are often so many fanciful details that second and third looks will come naturally. ... The whole effect makes the pictures seem like frameable art. —Booklist (starred review) It’s a work that confers classic gifts: time to look and time to wonder. —Publishers Weekly (starred review) [Ellis'] sly humor and irreverent spirit only endear her to kids and grown-ups alike. —The New York Times Ellis' compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. ... Visually accomplished. —Kirkus Reviews A dreamy, painterly meditation on the diversity and range of dwellings around the world and across time and imagination. ... The text encourages the reader to participate (“But whose home is this? And what about this?”), and the cover illustration further extends the options of where we can live. All the choices are warmly inviting. —The Horn Book A simple yet deep look at homes... This is a great vocabulary builder as you talk about all the homes — what makes them the same and what makes them different. —Chicago Tribune A stunner. —The Wall Street Journal Enchanting and accessible, "Home" is an instant classic for the K-3 set and a thoughtful Northwest-grown gift. —Seattle Times In her beautiful and inviting solo debut, Home , Carson Ellis (Wildwood series artist) illustrates the many different kinds of homes that humans and animals—past, present and even fictional—might inhabit. —Shelf Awareness Skillfully rendered and artistically pleasing. —School Library Journal Charming. —Apartment Therapy Carson Ellis previously illustrated The Composer Is Dead by Lemony Snicket and Dillweed's Revenge by Florence Parry Heide. She also collaborated with her husband, Colin Meloy, on the best-selling Wildwood series . Carson Ellis lives with her family outside Portland, Oregon.