You Are Home with Me

by Sarah Asper-Smith, Mitchell Watley (Illustrator)

Overview

Perfect for fans of Guess How Much I Love You, this endearing picture book introduces young children to the homes of a variety of animals.

From the author and illustrator of the popular I Would Tuck You In, explore the many ways that animals create a habitat for their young in this charming picture book, filled with baby animals and their parents.

A polar bear carves out a den in a snowbank to keep its cub warm. A tufted puffin digs out a burrow to shelter its young on a cliff near the sea. A lynx makes a shelter under a fallen tree to snuggle with its kitten. Young children will learn all about these animals and more, as each spread also includes a short piece of nonfiction about each creature.

Lovingly illustrated and lyrically written, this is the second children's book written and illustrated by the husband-and-wife artist and author team Mitchell Watley and Sarah Asper-Smith.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781632173669
Publisher:	Sasquatch Books
Publication date:	11/10/2020
Series:	Animal Families
Pages:	22
Sales rank:	394,984
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 6.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

SARAH ASPER-SMITH makes her home up 100 stairs in Juneau, Alaska, with her husband, Mitchell Watley. In addition to writing children's books, Sarah works developing and designing museum exhibits.

Although MITCHELL WATLEY now lives in Alaska, he still considers Texas his home. When he is not collaborating with his wife, Sarah, on an artistic project or a delicious meal, he can often be found painting in his studio or walking their dog on the beaches near their home.

Editorial Reviews

"Instills a sense of well-being in youngsters while encouraging them to explore the natural world."—Kirkus reviews

"Watley’s painting bring the animals to life. His renditions are are both accurate and animated, and he uses backgrounds well to present habitat. But it’s the tundra swan painting that stands out. What could easily have been a flat and featureless landscape is imbued with so many shades of gray and green that it wonderfully conveys the enchantment those boggy wetlands offer to all who look closely."—Anchorage Daily News

"The combination of a sweet story about love and home with education tidbits about animals is seamless and the information is presented in an age-appropriate and simple way."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

12/01/2019

PreS–The creators of I Would Tuck You In team up again for another gentle picture book featuring animals and their young. The book highlights a variety of unique creatures including a hoary marmot, a Dall's porpoise, and a lynx, and describes the types of homes in which they live. Each animal is showcased on a spread and is introduced using warm, simple language in large type with their names in bold font. More detailed information about the animal is displayed in smaller text. The story concludes with a human parent assuring a child that they will always have a home with them. Asper-Smith's choice of animals is atypical, providing for a fresh spin on the usual animal-themed picture book. The illustrations are soft and detailed, portraying a realistic but cuddly version of the animals that will appeal to young readers. The combination of a sweet story about love and home with education tidbits about animals is seamless and the information is presented in an age-appropriate and simple way. VERDICT A quiet, gentle picture book that is also informative and naturalistic. Recommended.—Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

2019-07-28
This reassuring picture book exemplifies how parents throughout the animal kingdom make homes for their offspring.

The narrative is written from the point of view of a parent talking to their child: "If you were a beaver, I would gnaw on trees with my teeth to build a cozy lodge for us to sleep in during the day." Text appears in big, easy-to-read type, with the name of the creature in boldface. Additional facts about the animal appear in a smaller font, such as: "Beavers have transparent eyelids to help them see under water." The gathering of land, air, and water animals includes a raven, a flying squirrel, and a sea lion. "Home" might be a nest, a den, or a burrow. One example, of a blue whale who has homes in the north and south (ocean is implied), will help children stretch the concept into feeling at home in the larger world. Illustrations of the habitats have an inviting luminosity. Mature and baby animals are realistically depicted, although facial features appear to have been somewhat softened, perhaps to appeal to young readers. The book ends with the comforting scene of a human parent and child silhouetted in the welcoming lights of the house they approach: "Wherever you may be, you will always have a home with me."

Instills a sense of well-being in youngsters while encouraging them to explore the natural world. (Informational picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews