Saben, Megan. New House, New Home. Liz Pope, Illus. Addl. Creator Kate Pope. Familius, 01/2025. [24]pp. Picture Book. Trade $16.99. 978-1-64170-969-9. GRADES Preschool–2. ADDITIONAL.
A brother and sister use blocks to play at building a new house while workers build their actual new house, including descriptions of construction, plumbing, electrical, and other areas of the building process. The rhyming text has bounce but is a bit uneven; for example, rhyming “come” and “home.” The pastel-colored artwork depicts a white family; the workers represent various racial groups. The style of the illustrations are simple cartoons, almost as if a child did the drawings. The last page lists things to look for, such as “Find the dog on every page.” A serviceable story on moving to a new house. Review based on an ARC.
Penny Peck—San José State University iSchool