Home Sweet Home

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Description

Kids will have their imaginations captured by this beautiful, non-fiction picture book that looks at home from around the world. Home from Home celebrates the wide diversity of living quarters people around the world live in.

Find out who lives in a Brooklyn brownstone or a Tokyo apartment! What about a London townhouse, or a cabin in Reykjavik?

Up and coming talent Paula Blumen illustrates all of these great views of home. There’s never been a better time to remember the importance of home for everyone.

Available Editions
EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9781786031136
PRICE $16.99 (USD)

Thank you Net Galley and Quarto Publishing Group for this book to read and provide my honest review.

This book is very stylish. The artwork fills both pages for each location being described. The story is told by the pets of people who live in various places all over the world. The wording is easy to follow. The colours are vivid and characters well-drawn with a cartoon-like pleasure. I really enjoyed reading this book and know that young readers will enjoy this picture book time and time again.

Readers will learn a lot of the different homes found all over the world and a bit about the pets that live in them. A real treasure!

Cute, mostly picture, book that looks at different styles of homes around the world as seen through the eyes of different animals. Fun!

Peek inside apartments, houses and backyards as our pet friends lead you on a journey around the world to visit their homes.

First, the picture part of the picture book:
Vibrant, bold, intense, sometimes too intense. I had to take a minute to relax my eyeballs after all the imagery overload!

There is so much colorful detail, readers can look for ages, and keep finding new parts to the picture, cheekily tucked away. I actually missed one of the cats and had to do a thorough scan to find the kitty. After I finished the book, I went back through the pages and discovered even more. 

I like that the pets' voices told the story, and that they were all distinctive. I like that each two-page scene introduced readers to a new pet. Giethoorn, the Netherlands was my favorite scene. Plus, bonus Pug, but I will not spoil the surprise by telling you where!

I initially would have liked to see only one scene from each country, but they locations were so charming and different that I really did not mind that some countries were featured multiple times after all. 

What a great gift for a child, to be read to them, or for a young reader to explore themselves.

From a London townhouse and a guesthouse in Cape Cod, to an apartment in Kyoto and a cabin in Reykjavik, this beautifully illustrated book celebrates the diversity of homes around the world. Each home is described from the perspective of the pets who live there and they tell us a bit about their humans, as well as what it’s like to live where they do.

Originally published in Spanish, Home Sweet Home will capture the imagination of children age 5+, whilst giving any adults reading it alongside them some serious house envy! I love the colours and illustration style (the cover doesn’t do it justice), and each spread is immersive. You feel as if you’ve been transported and can see around the whole home. Children and adults alike will love pouring over the detail on each page and will undoubtedly want to return back to this book time and time again.

A lovely concept, brilliantly executed.

*thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Childrens for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3 stars.
What an excellent little picture book. This would have definitely appealed to me as a little child. The illustrations are really good and I like how its been done. One 1 thing I would suggest, but maybe a wider range of countries/cities. I mean, it bothered me that some countries weren't even mentioned and the likes of the USA had 3 cities, Spain had 2, The Netherlands had 2 and France had 2. Thats a missed opportunity of about up to 5 other countires/cities to have included. This is why this book has been given 3 stars and not 4. But I do understand that places such as the USA can have a wide range of homes depending on what city/state you live in and this is why the author has included more than one.

I did really like that this book included countries/cities such as Myanmar and Iceland. Overall, it is still a good book. Getting to see all the different homes people live in was interesting and I think it would be interesting to small children aswell as grown-ups (or not so 'grown up' grown-ups.) So yes, I would recommend this book as it is a fun read.

This book takes a look at different homes in different parts of the world, from the perspective of pets who live in them. I really like the landscape illustrations -- they're bold and detailed without being too busy. This is not an "information-heavy" book, but I still found it interesting -- especially the Icelandic and Myanmar homes that show how people live near/with water. Children who are pet lovers will especially appreciate this collection.

Personally, while I mostly enjoyed the illustrations, I didn't care for the cross-eyed and cartoonish-looking human faces. I also would be loath to call this book a look "around the world" considering none of these featured homes are located in Africa, South America, or Australia/Oceania -- basically 14 of 17 are from Europe or North America. 

(Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.)

Home Sweet Home is a children's story book that was written by Mia Cassany and illustrated by Paula Blumen. It was first published in Spanish; and now, thanks to The Quarto Group for this English version because kids and adult readers can finally able to see and understand this book.

I love how each cities were described through the pets' perspectives. Moreover, the matching illustrations are really adorable; how I wish that there are more Asian countries added in this book, especially Singapore, Thailand, or South Korea.

This is a non-fiction book that involves a trip around the world peeking inside people's homes and yards. Whether they live in a house or an apartment we get to see their homes through the eyes of the animals that live with them or near them. Each two page spread was narrated by an animal (usually a pet) telling something about the home or life of the inhabitant. The illustrations were wonderful. They were not just the home, but the neighbourhood or surrounding area. They were extremely detailed and busy. There were a couple of them where I had trouble finding the animal, but did eventually. The colours used were vibrant and bright and added to the enjoyment. You could take a lot of time looking at all areas of the illustrations to see everything. Vocabulary development with young children is a big plus. Some countries were featured more than once, but from different areas and with different styles of homes. (i.e. USA, Spain, France). This would make a good introduction to a unit on homes, customs, travel and children around the world. A nice addition to a school library.

This book shows different houses from all over the world from the perspective of the pets who live in them. It is BEAUTIFUL, with super adorable illustrations and wonderful little vignettes about the different lifestyles of the people (and pets) in the houses. Absolutely perfect, and a fantastic way to peak children's curiosity about different countries.

"Home sweet Home" its a beautiful book narrated thru the eyes of different pets located in different cities around the world. This little books give a brief explanation  of how in the eyes of the pets he is perfect to be living in that specific city and how his humans are perfect for it too. The book briefly takes you to Japan, England, France, Mexico, Canada, USA, etc, It has beautiful illustrations that very well could serve a wall paper or to be framed. I loved how the illustrations actually portrayed how perfect the city was for the pets and their owners that it warmed my heart. I would keep this book on like my bedside table so I could glance at the illustrations once in a while.

Overall I liked this book, I definitely preferred the illustrations over the text. The text isn't particularly inspired, but, kids may find it more engaging as it's told from the point of view of different pets. The illustrations are beautiful and charming. Probably a good way to introduce a younger child to the idea of different cultures and ways of living. A couple countries have more than one example. I would just reiterate to children as you go through that these are sort of the cultural icons of a country, not the way everyone lives. Not everyone in Japan lives in a house with paper walls, not everyone in China lives in an apartment, that sort of thing. I think so long as you verbalize a bit of that this book is fine. It is a picture book, so there's really only so much time that can be spent talking about the various homes that people live in. 

Overall I recommend for specific audiences- people who find the illustrations appealing and will be reading to a child who likes pets.

Home Sweet Home took my by surprise. I was expecting to learn about homes in different places around the world, which I did, but through the eyes of the animals that lived there. It was an interesting perspective. I think this would be a fun book to share with students learning about the world and encourage to view these places from another perspective. 
Fun, quick read that children will enjoy.

Meet some pets from all over the world who will tell you a little about their home city and the dwelling in which they live.

There are choices when looking for a book on different types of dwellings. This one stands out for being from the perspective of pets. The illustrations are quite charming. The locations are selected from mostly Europe and North America with a couple from Asia. I was happy with some of the more exotic choices, like the house in Iceland and also happy to see the Asian cities included. I was a little disappointed there were no locations from the Southern Hemisphere at all. No Africa, no South America, no Australia. I do get that there’s limited space in a picture book. So here’s hoping the author and illustrator are working on a Home Sweet Home 2 featuring Southern Hemisphere pets and dwellings, because they’ve done a cute tour of Northern Hemisphere dwellings in this one. Recommended for curious little readers, pet lovers, and armchair travelers.

Absolutely delightful and a book that teaches as well as entertains with its brilliant dialogue and multicultural images. Brava!

Lovely illustrations of traditional homes in different countries. This isn't one for kids to read alone, as although the text is very simple it's quite small and hard to read. The pictures really are gorgeous though. I just wish it had a Scottish house!

A simple book for the young reader.  We see idealised views of different human habitats (Icelandic turf village, Japanese paper house, Dutch artist's garret with post-it notes and fancy furniture aplenty) - but we learn just as much about them through the voice of whichever pet is on hand to introduce them all.  In using heavily anthropomorphised animals to show the diversity of the human species it's easy to see this sounding as too twee, but the rich variety in the slightly cartoonish artwork shows a decent level of care and attention.  It should serve as a bit of an eye-opener to the young child beginning to get awareness of other cultures.

I love this book! From the illustrations to the cute little stories, it is fantastic! This book is great for discussions, interactive games and is suitable for children aged 3 and above. What I particularly like is that it is written from the point of view of the pets living in a particular home. We get to learn about the type of place it lives in, the people they live with and so on.

The illustrations are beautiful and captivating. I did a reading with my 7 year old sister and she loved it. She was into the colours, trying to spot different animals and we also did a discussion about the differences of all the houses. I loved that we got to travel to places we’ve ever been and see the houses and civilisation in that area.

We’re also exposed to different languages, where for example, when the book heads to China we get to see Chinese characters written everywhere in the streets and that easily opens up another conversation with children about languages and text.

It can be so difficult to find a book that’s engaging and interactive as this, all while being educational. I would love to have a copy of this in my classroom and just talk to the children about people, animals, cultures, languages and lifestyles.

One of the best new children’s book that I’ve discovered this year, hands down.

What a lovely picture book depicting home life in various countries and cities! Usually people present their homes and way of life, but "Home sweet home" is narrated by pets. Which reminded me of "The secret life of pets" and I love love love that movie. 
The illustrations by Paula Blumen are very appealing, colorful and full of little details that should be studied closely. Also, this book would also be great for a read-aloud and a discussion about where everybody's from and what their homes are like.

Review to be published on: December 29, 2017
Actual rating: 4 1/2 stars

I really enjoyed this book. To be honest, I actually thought this would have minimal text and would be suited to my son who is just learning to read. It turns out, it's more suited to somewhere in between early readers and middle grade readers. However, the topics and the illustrations make this book work for kids of any age. 



I love the concept of this book. I was surprised to find that there were a lot of places (17) included in the book. Some were in the US, Canada, and Mexico; several in Europe, and three in Asia. The houses were of different styles and sizes, and the places they were in ranged from cities to suburbs to small villages.



What makes this book unique is the voices in the narration belong to pets living in those areas. There are different pets too. While most are dogs and cats, some of the pets narrating included a tortoise and a bird.



I really liked the illustration style used in the book. The colors were very beautiful and vibrant as well. It makes every location feel like a place you would want to live in, or at least visit for a while.

A travelogue wrapped around a pet's living space. Is okay. Illustrations are bright and beautiful.

This was an interesting book, and not at all what I expected.  It allows the reader to travel to different countries, cities, and villages and get a pets eye view of what it is like to live there.  From the turtle in Japan, the birds in Paris, and the furry friends in Iceland.  This is a unique way to look at different cultures.  I quite enjoyed it, and the illustrations are amazing and colorful.

I am reviewing this book for Mia Cassany, Quarto Publishing, and NetGalley who gave me a copy of their book for an honest review. 
Kids who like animals will find this book appealing as it is told from the viewpoint of different animals – it emphasises their different cultures and ways of living. The illustrations just add to the overall loveliness of the book.

This was such an interesting and unique little book! It’s rare you come across a non-fiction children’s book that celebrates the everyday in the way that this does. Told through the eyes of the pets who live in them, Home Sweet Home looks at the number of different types of homes across the world, from Brooklyn brownstones to compact apartments in bustling, bright Tokyo. 

This book is bursting with detail; vivid images, strong colors and bold patterns. It is stylish, captivating and imaginative, and focuses on the importance and comfort home, no matter where you live.

This was a very sweet children's picture book with a wonderful premise. The illustrations were bright and beautiful, and I enjoyed the almost 'Where's Wally?' adventure of pointing out the various animals in each city. However, I do think that this book would benefit from including a few more diverse locations, especially considering it pegs itself as an 'around the world' look. I do not recall seeing any locations in either Africa or Australasia/Oceania, and instead it featured multiple cities in the US. Despite this, I did enjoy peeking into a few European places that I hadn't heard of before. Very fun read, and I imagine the physical edition will be a truly stunning object and perfect as a gift.

We have a peek into different homes around the world through the eyes of the pets and getting information on their lifestyle and habits. Bright and vivid illustrations.

I thought that this book was lovely! It really is a great way of introducing different cultures to children -personally I thought it was a great book and the images used were brilliant - very enjoyable and one that would live on a book shelf to be read over and over again - 4 stars from me

Take a trip around the world and follow the lives of pets and where the live.  This is a charming book that shows us not only how diverse our world is but also how much we still all have in common and especially when it comes to our furry, feathered and much loved companions.

"Peek inside apartments, houses, and backyards as our friends lead you on a journey around the world. Where would you choose as your home sweet home?"

Home Sweet Home introduces different homes around the world through animals. For example, there's Dash, an old dog living in Cape Cod, a cat called Arun from Myanmar, and a cat called Mimi from Toronto. 

The illustrations are wonderful -- the style, the use of color and the clear distinctions between the different homes are impressed me. I also loved how many little details every single home includes since I believe those little details will ignite conversations with the little reader about different places, customs, and so on.

Home Sweet Home by Mia Cassany is a non-fiction book that involves a trip around the world peeking inside people's homes and yards. Whether they live in a house or an apartment we get to see their homes through the eyes of the animals that live with them or near them. Each two page spread was narrated by an animal telling something about the home or life of the inhabitant. The illustrations were wonderful. They were not just the home, but the neighbourhood or surrounding area. They were extremely detailed and busy. There were a couple of them where I had trouble finding the animal, but did eventually. The colors used were vibrant and bright and added to the enjoyment. You could take a lot of time looking at all areas of the illustrations to see everything. Vocabulary development with young children is a big plus. Some countries were featured more than once, but from different areas and with different styles of homes. This would make a good introduction to a unit on homes, customs, travel and children around the world.