Poppy's House by Karla Courtney illustrated by Madeline Kloepper

 

Our young storyteller spends time with her grandfather - her Poppy. He lives on an island and he is busy.

"He chops the wood, he picks the cloudberries, he catches the fish and he watches his world float by as he sits in front of a huge supper plate of salt beef and pease pudding."

His grand daughter helps with the daily chores.

"Every morning we have bread from the oven for breakfast. Then we make sure the house is just right. We tidy the kitchen, dig up the potatoes, and water the garden. When our chores are done, we get to explore the island together, counting our favourite things."

At this point your young reading companion is sure to join in counting fish, tracks, stones and waves. When the visit is over they are both sad but they know the little girl will return again and again. 

"And (then) we count the days until we are together again."

This story is a gentle exploration of island life and it celebrates slowing down and spending time outdoors with a loved family member.

The details may not be familiar to all readers, but the strong feelings of love and companionship will resonate. The earth-toned illustrations, rendered in colored pencil and gouache and finished digitally, are a fitting match for the flora and fauna depicted. Kirkus

Bookseller blurb: In a picture book as cosy as wool socks and as sweeping as a lighthouse beam, a little girl takes a ferry to an island to spend time with her Poppy. After fresh-baked bread for breakfast, the two tidy up, garden, and set out to explore together. They pass docks and green hills specked with puffins, counting their favourite things along the way: masts, animal tracks, silvery waves. At the end of each day, they snuggle on Poppy’s worn velvet armchair to read by lantern light. When it’s time to travel home, the little girl begins counting the days until she and Poppy will be together again. A patchwork of exquisitely patterned and textured art evokes a traditional quilt in this ode to coastal Canada and to the days spent with an attentive, caring older person.

One of our large bookshops here in Sydney - Dymocks - have set out tables full of sale books. I think their criteria might be books from 2022 and earlier which seems a little sad as a 2022 book is not old! Anyway this book - Poppy's House was published in 2022 and the retail price was $30 but my copy was discounted to $20. I also picked up a copy of Gooney Bird Green for just $5.

If you want to talk about excellence in book design with a class of older students or with aspiring authors and illustrator this book is one you could use. It has a dust jacket and when this is removed there is a different image underneath. The end papers anticipate the story as well as being a colourful and inviting invitation to read the story. 

Oh and I do need to mention there are puffins on the book cover and on the end papers and if you have read this blog previously you will know I adore puffins (and lighthouses). I also love Canadian picture books and Karla Courtney is from Toronto but spent her summers in Newfoundland so this book is based on her own childhood and Madeline Kloepper lives in British Columbia. She is the illustrator of The Keeper of Wild Words.  See more pages inside this book here. 

I need to find this book also illustrated by Madeline Kloepper.