The House that Walked Away by Simon Howe

When you think about moving house you probably don't think about the actual house itself moving but that is the fun premise of The House that Walked Away. The house wanders the countryside but nowhere feels quite right. Then a family group begin to follow the house and during a storm the house invites the family to step inside. The next day the house prepares to move on again, but the lights are on and the house is warm from the fires burning inside each hearth - it seems the House has finally found a family and now is the time to settle down.

Bookseller blurb: In this simple, surreal and stunning story, a house sets off on a journey to find a home. Dissatisfied and restless, the house wanders from place to place, hopeful but uncertain. Each time it settles down, the comfort is fleeting, and the urge to move on returns. But everything changes when a curious family notices the house, and decides to follow ...

Rachel Robson hosted another terrific children's book event at Gleebooks to celebrate The House that Walked Away. This was also one of the best author/illustrator events I have attended recently because Simon Howe had lots to share including a video of his creative process and the model of the house he used for his newest book. His presentation was engaging and interesting and everyone enjoyed the way he so sincerely shared his enthusiasm for his work creating picture books. One of the most interesting things Simon Howe shared was the way he gave his house emotions without using facial expressions - it is all in the body language!

Image source: Simon Howe Instagram 

Click this link to see some early drafts for this book

Talking about his book Simon explained he moved around a lot as a child - living in different houses. Having his own child he now understands home is more about the people and their relationships and not the actual building. His own dad always created a sense of home no matter where the family lived. 

The idea or 'trigger' image for this book was a simple sketch Simon made of a house with legs. As a child he met a street artist who explained it is important to get your ideas down on paper quickly - make the idea in your head exist and fill in the details later. I think we were all surprised to hear how he created this book quite quickly whereas Going Home (his other new book) began as an idea in 2022 and only reached publication in 2026. Simon uses digital tools but he would like to experiment with more traditional mediums. Sadly he explained these take longer and so cost more (I thought that was a very sad comment). Someone asked did he plan to write the next story about this little house and the family who have now made it their home. Simon Howe likes the idea that reading a picture book sometimes leaves the reader wanting more. 

For myself I want to know more about the little family group who find, follow and eventually settled in the house. Where have they come from? What is their back story? Am I 'wrong' to use words like homelessness or refugees? These are discussion questions you could use with your library group or class perhaps.

The House that Walked Away does pose a couple of very big questions - What is a home? What does a home mean to you?

Here are some photos I took at the Gleebooks Kids event:

Here are a few questions I would have asked Simon Howe (I never ask questions at events mostly because I think of them later):

• Do you see a link between The House that Walked Away and your other new book Going Home? To my eye these could easily be read as a pair.
• The legs on your house reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle (the book and Studio Ghibli Movie) and also The House with Chicken Legs - did either of these images or books influence you?
• Can you talk about the little family who follow the house? I love the inclusion of a multigenerational family and also of course the joy they find in music. I feel as though your story has a sound track - could this be the influence of your animation work?

The little house created by Simon Howe reminded me of illustrations like this one by Sven Nordqvist. To my eye The House that Walked Away has a very appealing European vibe. I love the shape of the roof, the symmetry of the windows and the two chimneys. You could use some terrific architecture terminology when you describe the little house - shingles, portico, symmetry, chimney stacks, and notice how the window frames look like eyebrows. It would be fun to draw a house plan to show the way you imagine the inside of this cottage. 

From the book 'Pettson and Findus'

Here is another book by Simon Howe:

Here are some notes from Walker Books

Simon Howe also used this form of panel illustrations in his book The House that Walked away

(source: Walker Books)

Simon Howe named these illustrators in answer to the question about his favorites: Beatrice Alemagna, Shaun Tan, Júlia Sardà, and Freya Blackwood. 

Bio: Simon Howe is an illustrator and author with a broad appetite for children's literature, animation, storytelling and design. He has worked with many major publishers, and his work has been nominated for the Australian Book Industry Awards and the Australian Book Design Awards. His long-time collaboration with ARIA award-winning children’s band, Teeny Tiny Stevies, has seen him produce more than a dozen animated music videos for ABC Kids TV. His first authored book, Shoosh, was distributed by the Bounty Bag network to over 60,000 children born in Queensland throughout 2022. Simon lives in regional Victoria with his family.

In September UQP will publish his newest book Betsy and Bon.

These books are also illustrated by Simon Howe:

Rachel mentioned when she was a child in Queensland she often witnessed people moving house - not just packing up their possessions and furniture but moving their whole house - that reminded me of this book (and in my real life the house next door to my apartment was loaded onto the back of a truck and taken away - it was a very exciting late night event in our street!)

While it is quite different and aimed at an older group of readers The House that Walked Away also reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle (book and movie). The Readings Melbourne reviewer agrees: Their journey together is full of music, sharing, joy on sunny days and comfort on rainy days. Together, they are transformed. The illustrations seem to glow from within, reminiscent of Studio Ghibli

Other companion books:

Farmhouse

No Room for a Mouse by Kyle Mewburn illustrated by Freya Blackwood

My favourite parts of this book are the cross section illustrations of the huge house and the kindness of Christopher. It is not directly stated but clearly Mrs Fizzletum has become homeless even if the reasons are fanciful and fun:

"I gave my pot plants too much food. ... Now my house is a jungle, and a boa constrictor has swallowed my keys."

Similarly Melody Mistletoe and her family now live at the bus stop. 

"I forgot to turn the taps off in the bath. ... Now our house is an ocean, and there are oysters growing in our beds."

I also love the way everyone contributes to the house and mum finds delightful things such as freshly baked scones but she is so busy that she does not think to ask where they have come from. 

Book seller blurb: Christopher lived with his mum and his best friend, Sneaky, in a house with more rooms than Christopher could count. This charming story about Christopher, his mother and his mouse Sneaky will delight children of all ages. Christopher’s mother is so busy working for the pigeon post that she doesn’t notice when Christopher invites an amazing variety of people to share their enormous house. There’s Mrs Fizzletum, Melody Mistletoe and her family, Maestro Bambonium and his Grand Pandemonium, Ringmaster Fergus and the Sawdust Circus — so many people that there is no room for Sneaky!

This book is a new discovery for me even though it was published in 2007. I have previously talked about Freya Blackwood. Kyle Mewburn lives in New Zealand and is the author of many picture books. She won the Joy Cowley Award (presented by Storylines Children's Literature Foundation of New Zealand) in 2005 and won both the Picture Book Category and the Children's Choice Category with Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck! at the 2007 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. No room for a mouse won a Storylines Notable Book Award in 2008.

When the orchestra move into the house it reminded me of another book by a New Zealand author - Margaret Mahy:

The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper

You might also be lucky and have a very old book by Bob Graham:

The House on the Canal by Thomas Harding illustrated by Britta Teckentrup

"The girl with the sweet smile hid in the house with her father and mother and sister and four others. The top floors of the annexe were now a hiding place. They had to be silent, otherwise the police and soliders would find them. So still. Not a sound. Each minute was a day. Each day was a year."

The House on the Canal begins in 1580 when the land a marshland:

"With some cows. A few herons. A family of fieldmice. And in the sky above, a flock of seagulls. It was a calm and happy place".

By 1600 workers begin to reclaim the land and create the canals we all associate with Amsterdam. In 1635 the first house is built by a newly arrived stonemason. 

"The stonemason wanted more space. So they added an annex behind the main house with a large attic."

Yes, just in case you haven't worked it out - this is the famous annexe and attic where Anne Frank and seven other people stayed in hiding until their arrest in August 1944. But before we get to that point so many other people lived in this house with large and small families, or they used it for their business including a company that made metal beds and stoves; a small business that made piano rolls; and it was for a while used as a sewing workshop and even a horse stable. 

After the war the only survivor of the Frank family was Anne's father Otto. He worked hard with other members of the community to save the house on Canal Street and at last, in 1960 the house was opened to the public. 

Perhaps you are wondering about the chestnut tree that gives Anne comfort during her long days in hiding. It began to grow in 1853 so that means by 1940 when the family moved into the attic the tree was 87 years old. 

The text in this book will be accessible to children aged 10+ but I would also add this book to a High School library so that students who study history, or architecture or who read The Diary of Anne Frank can discover more about this famous house. This book could also be a fabulous way to show the depth of research completed by an author or an historian. See inside the book here. Read more about the author Thomas Harding. And this book should also be shared with an art class because Britta Teckentrup is an outstanding illustrator. 

Readers will emerge simultaneously awed by the passage of time and personally affected by the stories told. Teckentrup overlays her bright, exquisitely detailed sepia-toned depictions of the house and its environs with a misty haze; the results are hauntingly beautiful. Deeply moving, powerful, and breathtaking. Kirkus Star review

Readers will notice that the Frank family are not the first residents of this house to have experienced religious persecution, or to have been confined to the house for extended periods of times. At other times, the freedom enjoyed by previous residents poignantly contrast with the restrictions faced by the Franks – freedoms which all families want and which can easily be taken for granted. Just Imagine

I first saw a mention of this book over a year ago. I am so happy this book has now arrived here in Australia. It is a book to cherish. In 1974 I visited Anne Frank's House in Amsterdam. I was quite young but the experience affected me deeply. Later, in my school library I read these books to my Grade 6 library groups and we talked about Anne Frank.

Let the Celebrations begin

Rose Blanche

Behind the Bookcase

I am also very keen to read this book from 2019 but sadly it is way too expensive here in Australia:

If you want to read another book that traces the history of a house try to find this one with scrumptious illustrations by Roberto Innocenti:

Thomas Harding and Britta Teckentrup have created two other books about the history of a specific house:

On the outskirts of Berlin, a wooden cottage stands on the shore of a lake. Over the course of a century, this little house played host to a loving Jewish family, a renowned Nazi composer, wartime refugees and a Stasi informant; in that time, a world war came and went, and the Berlin Wall was built a stone's throw from the cottage's back door. With words that read like a haunting fairy tale, and magnificent illustrations by Britta Teckentrup, this is the astonishing true story of the house by the lake.

In the northeast corner of the USA, near the city of Auburn, stands a red brick house. It was built 130 years ago and served as a farmhouse, old people's home, museum and a refuge for enslaved women, men and children. It was the scene of an extraordinary story: the American Revolutionary War, the Underground Railroad, the American Civil War, the fight for women's suffrage, and a safe place for Harriet Tubman, her family, and many others. This is the exciting story of a remarkable house.

One Snowy Night by Nick Butterworth

"One winter's night it was so cold it began to snow. ... He made himself some hot cocoa and got ready for bed. Suddenly, Percy heard a tapping sound. There was somebody at the door."

On the doorstep Percy, the Park Keeper, finds a very cold and miserable squirrel. Naturally Percy invites him to come inside. Just as they settle down, though, there is another knock at the door. 

Very young children respond well to patterns in stories. I am sure you have anticipated both the pattern here and the dilemma as more and more of the park animals arrive to shelter with Percy. 

"The animals pushed and shoved and rolled around the bed, but there was just not enough room for all of them."

Luckily there is one more visitor - the mole emerges from under the floor - but I bet you can't guess how he 'solves' the problem.

One Snowy Night was first published in 1989. My copy from a recent charity book sale is a 2019 reprint. Here are some other books by Nick Butterworth about Percy. I think there are more than 30 altogether including board books, activity books, individual picture books and bind-up versions. In this video Nick Butterworth reads After the Storm:

Where will you stay?

 

I saw this fabulous idea on Instagram today from The Book Wrangler.  It would be easy to adapt this for children in your Australian library - perhaps before the next holiday period such as our end of term one break in April when families are focused on holiday destinations including holiday houses and hotels.

Books in Mike's image, which you can see here, include Anne of Green Gables; Madeline; Winnie the Pooh; The Twits; Greenglass House; The Vanderbeekers; Mercy Watson; and A series of Unfortunate events. I am in awe of the way Mike took the trouble to include an image of the house and not just a book cover. 

Image source: Instagram The Book Wrangler

If you work in a school library you will find a wealth of ideas for displays and library lessons created by Mike Rawls - The Book Wrangler.

Here are the Australian and other favourite books I would include for a display like this. I imagine you could easily copy one image from each book to make the display even better. I extended the idea to also include hotels. 

John Brown and Rose live in a such a delightful cozy cottage. 

You can type each of these titles into my search bar to read more. A few of these are very old but also very special such as View from the 32nd Floor; The naming of Tishkin Silk; and The Sea-breeze hotel. The Best Hiding Place and Farmhouse are quite new. 

Who Lives Here by Julia Donaldson illustrated by Rebecca Cobb

 

It is always fun when someone invites you to visit but what would you do if they only told you the street name and not the exact address.

"The houses in South Street all stood in a row. But which how was Dan's house? I just didn't know."

So, the child ventures along the street, with their parent standing by, investigating each house. Number one - no, Number two - no, Number three - no, Number four - no. Does Dan live at Number Five?

Look at the team who have produced this book - Julia Donaldson master storyteller and wrangler of perfect rhyming texts and Rebecca Cobb who does nostalgic, sweet, detailed illustrations and draws the faces of children with so much emotion. Bonus - this book has lift the flap pages, fold out pages and it is made from sturdy paper so it can survive young hands who will read and re-read this treasure.

Julia Donaldson has created another original and entertaining read in rhyming verse and regular rhythm for reading aloud. It has the element of surprise that children love as they lift the flaps or try to guess what could be hiding there. Kids' Book Review

A gently reassuring jaunt, great for those starting school and making new friends, it suggests Donaldson’s knack for catchy rhymes and deeply resonant themes shows no signs of waning. Long may she reign over bedtime. The Guardian

Do you need a Christmas gift for a young child (aged 3+) - go out and grab this book - it is perfect. Take a look at my recent post about Julia Donaldson. 

Very sadly one of our excellent independent bookstores here in Sydney, Australia is set to close before the end of this year. This means all of their stock is now on sale. I have had Who Lives Here on my book wish list for the last few months. Hardcover picture books have become quite expensive but this one was only AUS$28 less my 20% discount. I now have to decide if I will gift this book or keep in on my own shelves.

My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything has a Pinterest of picture books that features houses and homes. Companion books:

Squeak Street (See the full original series here).

It could also be fun to include this book if you are working on a theme of Happy Birthday stories. You could talk about all the details that need to be included on a party invitation. 

The Birthday Invitation

Knock Knock by Catherine Meatheringham ilustrated by Deb Hudson

 

Knock on some doors around the world.

Who will you meet?

What will you do?

Klopf Klopf I am Lotta in Germany; Tukituki I am Loa from Tonga; Kon Kon I am Yuzuki from Japan, Daqq Daqq I am Karim from Egypt, Toc Toc I am Mateo from Mexico, and Thak Thak I am Sana from India. For your youngest children there is a wild map at the back with each door and 'knock knock' word. The end papers could inspire an art activity. Oh, and when you knock on each door the young child who greets you invites you in to meet their family, share a meal, come to a party, visit their school, or play a game. Teachers should add Knock Knock their list of books to share for Harmony Day. 

With vibrant illustrations and fun knocking sounds, this is a joyous celebration of children, culture and language around the world.

This book gave me a huge smile because it is such a simple and perhaps obvious idea, but I have never seen a book before that explored the simple gesture of knocking on a door and the way this is so different around the world. I do hope the publisher has submitted this for our CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Early Childhood award (2024). Many years ago the CBCA Book Week slogan was Doorways - this book would have been such a perfect way to explore that idea. 

Here is a web page for Catherine Meatheringham - she lives in Canberra. I previously talked about Milly and the Mulberry Tree illustrated by Deb Hudson. 

Catherine talked to The Canberra Times:

"All of my books have onomatopoeia in them, so I love books with sounds that encourage kids to join in with the stories, especially that early childhood market, so that they are part of the story and engaged," she said.

"This one, in particular, I'm really passionate about kids being exposed to different cultures and different lives, but also we have such a multicultural society in Australia and this is a way to showcase that element as well."

Reading Knock Knock, reminded me of another book - Norman Speak - which looks at the way a young boy needs to translate talking to his dog.

And Catherine Meatheringham and Deb Hudson have made a book about this too:

And I need to read this one:

I also thought of this old favourite - a book about knocking on a door, which I read to hundreds of Kindergarten children over the 33 years I worked in a number of school libraries. It would be a fun companion book and it is one of the best ever books to read aloud - with heaps of funny voices and tons of expression.