Julia's House Moves On

by Ben Hatke, Ben Hatke (Illustrator)

Overview

Julia and her house full of fantastic friends are back for another sweet adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ben Hatke in Julia's House Moves On.

Julia's house is restless.

Julia and her family of lost creatures are ready to move on. But where will they go? And how will they get there?

Don’t worry—Julia has a plan for that! Julia always has a plan. But when Julia's plans all fail...

What's left for her?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250191373
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	09/29/2020
Series:	Julia's House Series , #2
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	543,414
Product dimensions:	11.20(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Ben Hatke is the author of the New York Times–bestselling Zita the Spacegirl trilogy, the Mighty Jack trilogy, the Eisner Award–winning Little Robot, and the picture books Julia's House for Lost Creatures and Nobody Likes a Goblin. He lives and works in the Shenandoah Valley with the help of his wife and daughters. He loves archery and is very happy in a canoe.

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/31/2020

In this sequel to Julia’s House for Lost Creatures, the trolls, ghosts, and other creatures who live in Julia’s ramshackle Victorian have been out of sorts, precipitating a move to the mountains. Things should go smoothly (“I have a plan for this,” Julia says), but the house moves first, trundling down to the sea atop the turtle on which it is perched, and soon it’s adrift and battered. “Don’t worry,” Julia reassures the creatures, “I have a plan for this.” She rummages through her boxes, scarf and apron signaling her readiness. In Hatke’s fantasy universe, something delightfully improbable happens on almost every page; here, though Julia unearths a horn of Triton and summons assistance, the chaos merely deepens. Yet despite the suspense, Hatke’s loose line and gentle, candy-box palette suggest that everything will end well. Julia’s need for a plan is kindly upended, and readers watch her discover that sometimes, if she lets go, things (and creatures) will take care of themselves. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"In Hatke’s fantasy universe, something delightfully improbable happens on almost every page... Yet despite the suspense, Hatke’s loose line and gentle, candy-box palette suggest that everything will end well."—Publisher's Weekly, starred review

"Hatke’s characteristically fluid, whimsical art turns elegant here, as dappled textures and soft lines unfurl into full bleed, vibrantly bold spreads, and the scene of the creatures returning to save the day hits just the right note of warmth and wonder."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher

2020-06-16
Julia decides to pack up and move her House for Lost Creatures, creating a host of problems with unexpected results.

Julia has taken in a cacophony of lost creatures: dwarves, trolls, and goblins, a singular rarity of a mermaid, and a patchwork cat, among others. But now, the house feels ready for a move. As the ghost starts to fade and the mermaid languishes, Julia puts her plan into action—packing books and stacking boxes. The move quickly turns into a series of catastrophes. Trying to retain the facade of control, Julia is dismayed to see her plans making things worse. Knowledge of the previous title, Julia’s House for Lost Creatures (2014), is a helpful introduction, as Hatke turns the solution of the first book into the problem for this one. With skillful pacing, the story has messages for both planners and creatives. The problems seem beyond resolution, keeping readers in gleeful suspended tension. While the first book introduced readers to the gnomish folletti, a hedgehoglike ghillie comes to a dramatic rescue here. There are two disparate messages in one story: Kindness will be returned, and it is OK to not have a plan. Connecting them together are lush illustrations that stretch the mind and add details to mythic beasts. Julia presents white. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.5-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 25% of actual size.)

This magical wisp of a story has an imaginative message for both planners and improvisers. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews