This Is Our House

by Michael Rosen, Bob Graham (Illustrator)

George says the cardboard house is his and no one else can play with it. But when some of George's friends give him a taste of his own medicine and claim the house as theirs, he has to agree that it should be for everyone to play with.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

25 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Michael Rosen, a recent British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and I’M NUMBER ONE and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, both illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didactic as they come, and I really didn’t like the text used in the last three pages of the story for that reason.

Yet, this is still an appealing book. I read it because of Bob Graham’s illustrations, which I love. I enjoyed the ones in this book too. I think they’re earlier than many I’ve seen but they have that trademark look of this illustrator.

This would be a good book for group discussions about sharing, exclusion, and discrimination. I did like the idea of it.

And, the joy of having a house made from an old box is one I remember fondly.

In the author and illustrator bio section, I do appreciate how the author spells out the message he is trying to impart, and why. And I love how the illustrator set the story in a playground that’s “a suggestion of hope” in an area of “bleak public housing buildings” and how he reveals he used to live in such a setting.

3 ½ stars

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps one of the greatest joys of childhood is having the opportunity to play with an over-sized cardboard box. In "This Is Our House," a boy has transformed a box into a fabulous house, a house that only he is permitted to play in. As the other kids from the apartment complex attempt to play with the house, the boy is very aggressive and even becomes physical in his refusal to share the house with them. The boy pushes his peers and shouts: no girls, no twins, no glasses, no tunnels, etc. But what will happen to the "boy's" house when he has to go the bathroom?

This is an excellent story true of child behavior and it is very clear that everyone has more fun when no one is excluded. Bob Graham's illustrations are wonderful, as always.

[Savannah-Alicia Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love the illustrations in this book - they make the story come alive. 'This Is Our House' tells a wonderful story of how a little boy named George eventually learns the lesson of sharing with his friends. The way the colours are used signify exhilaration, childhood excitement and discovery. On the first page, the way dark and bright colours are used is a perfect portrayal of George's character. Whilst George and his 'house' are surrounded by primary colours of blues, yellows and reds; the other children are grey shadows; perhaps indicating that they do not have what George has and that George is separate from them.

Framing in the book demonstrates that the reader only has a glimpse into the world. The use of a rectangle when framing George in his house gives me the impression that his character or situation is trapped or insecure.

The doublespread at the end of the book is a beautiful ending to a very moral based story. George eventually figures out that its okay to share his house with his friends no matter their hair colour, race, age or size and the picture no longer has framing which gives the reader an immersive experience into the children's happiness that they are now all playing together.

I really do love the meaning of this story; it definitely helps children consider their actions when it comes to playing with friends and sharing!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story about sharing. It’s a story about a boy named ‘George’ who is stubborn and won’t allow any other children into his toy box house to play. George tries to keep girls, small children, twins, children with glasses, children who like tunnels and everyone else in the playground out of his cardboard house. When George leaves his box house to go to the bathroom, he returns to discover that all the children are now inside the box and he is alone outside. George finally learns his lesson and decides to declare that the house is ‘for everyone’. The text is well written and portrays an important but subtle message. This is certainly a good read for younger children perhaps in early years as it can be used to introduce a discussion based on the topics of getting along, bullying and inclusion

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot because of the watercolor illustrations. I believe that they went well with the storyline. The book utilized symbolism along with things that we can all relate back to our own childhood; something so simple just as fighting with your siblings. In the book, the kids are fighting over “their house” which in all reality is actually just a box. I’m pretty sure I probably did something like this before with my sister when I was little, we would fight over the most random things all the time.

[Ola Dass · Rating 5 out of 5]

George does not want to share his cardboard box house with the other children, excluding them because they “are girls, twins, wear glasses, like tunnels”. When he finally goes to the toilet, the other children reclaim the house and he is the one left outside. George quickly learns his lesson and concludes that the house is for everyone, no matter their differences. A good base for discussion about sharing, inclusion and kindness. Another good story from Michael Rosen and great illustrations by Bob Graham. Recommended for year R, 1 and 2.

[Sally Edsall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very fine children's book. It has a "message" without being saccharine-preachy. It is so evidently set in a multicultural, inner city area with the sort of kids my son mixes with at school everyday. Bob Graham is a terrific illustrator, and this one is not a let-down.

The children who are originally excluded by the "bully" take action to reclaim their place, and then teach George his lesson, before showing him that their more inclusive way is better than his selfishness.

[Nicola · Rating 1 out of 5]

Miss 3 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

This was a random picture book that I chose. I didn't particularly like the book (and neither did Miss 3). I could see what it was trying to achieve but I feel like we've read other picture books that did it better.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to a librarian read this to a class of Y1 children. The story is full of brilliant rhymes and repeating phrases and the children quickly picked up on them. The message of sharing and not leaving people out is very strongly reinforced but in light way. The children listened attentively and understood the message of the story. They could pick out the parts when a child was unkind and the librarian used it to draw out feelings of empathy. Good stuff.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa, do we all need this book right now! A boy tells everyone that they can't play in his "house", a cardboard box. Whatever characteristics the kids have, like they are twins, is what he uses against them. "This is my house and it's not for twins!", for example. Well, what do you think happens when he has to leave for a moment to use the bathroom? How will the kids resolve this? A lesson on exclusion that the world is living out right now.

[Christina Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

The joy of a cardboard box big enough to be a house or anything else you can imagine - this is a great story for early years, with a message about sharing and including others. Not one that I can imagine being reread multiple times but could be nice to introduce this idea or start a discussion if there are children in your class having trouble sharing.

[Mama Bearian · Rating 2 out of 5]

George has a "house" made out of a box on the playground, but he won't let anyone else in. It isn't for people with glasses, or who like tunnels, or for girls, or for twins. But when George has to go to the bathroom, he doesn't expect that everyone he kept out of his house would go in...and not let him in because he has red hair! Maybe George will have to rethink his house rules!

[Dewi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kisah yang sederhana tentang George yang tak mau berbagi rumah kardus dengan teman-temannya. Kesannya simpel namun bisa juga mendalam. Banyak hal yang bisa kita bagi, mulai dari mainan dan hak untuk tinggal di suatu negara.

[Marcela Zuluaga · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is amazing to talk about diversity, anti-discrimination and also self-reflection. The child didn't need to talk to an adult to understand how the other children were feeling about the house. all the children did it right.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about being kind and accepting of others. The main character, George, realizes that it is a lot more fun to be inclusive of others, then to keep his box house to himself. I would use this book to express the importance of sharing and being kind to all.

[Liz Thorpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book about sharing and anti-discrimination for young children. Great to bring out if children try to exclude others from their games using arbitrary rules as an excuse.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

“This is Our House” by Michael Rosen, is a very simple and enjoyable book about letting people into your community. Its story about a boy named George. He is very protective of his house and only sees his house as his and nobody else’s. He makes it very clear to the other characters in the story that nobody is allowed in his box house. The characters do not understand why but keep probing him and George’s excuse is because of a characteristic that the other characters may portray like “You can’t come in because you are wearing glasses” or “Because you have curly hair” A lot of these actions remind me of my preschoolers. They do not have a good excuse for not sharing, only because children like things their way and have to learn that it’s okay to play with others and share. Eventually, George sees that anyone can go into the box house because the more people there are the more fun they’ll have. He realizes this after he leaves to box to go to the bathroom and when he returns he realizes he doesn’t fit. But it makes him see that anyone can play with the box.

I would love to read this to my preschoolers because we had these big boxes donated to the classrooms and the kids love them. It’s their house, school bus, pirate ship, etc. They absolute love playing in the box house but also some children gets very territorial of who is in there with them. They are not afraid to say no to the child and do not realize that they can hurt the other children’s feelings. This book would be great because the background knowledge is fresh in their heads and they can hopefully relate to the story. I haven’t tried doing a read aloud discussion with them because the main teacher does read alouds with them but I think I’ll ask her to find out if I can.

[Clare Neale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Our House by Michael Rosen is based on the childhood issue of sharing and teaches children the act of kindness and the need to share and not to discriminate.

The story is about a little red-haired boy called George who finds a cardboard box to make his home, ‘this house is mine and no one else is coming in’ he says as he stands alone inside the box. The box soon provokes interest with the other children in the playground, and in turn they too want to play with the box. However George excludes all the children based on their characteristics, from being girls to small people and twins to people with glasses, George remains adamant the box is just for him. When George needs the bathroom and leaves the box he insists no one is to enter the box when he is gone, but upon returning he finds all the children inside the house. George is treated with the same unfairness he showed the other children and excluded from the house for having red-hair. As George becomes upset he realises the house is for everyone and is welcomed by the other children happily playing in the box as they shout in unison ‘This house is for Everyone’.

This book explores why it is important for children to be accepting of others and not to isolate individuals. It would be a great introductory book to pre-school and reception children, with a class discussion teaching the topics of friendship, bullying and inclusion. With their teachers, children could explore the different emotions felt for each topic.

[Deena Lernor · Rating 3 out of 5]

George is a young boy full of attitude. Him and his friends are out on the playground for recess and George takes charge of box. George makes the box “his” box and no one else is allowed in. He continues to make excuses every time a new classmate would ask to join him in his box. George is asked by every person on the playground to enter the box until the point that they are all standing at the box. George eventually leaves to go to the restroom. When he returns to his box he is in for a surprise that he could not to believe. George learns that nothing was ever his and because of his attitude towards his classmates he pushed everyone away.

My initial reaction to George’s attitude towards to his friends was surprising for a children’s book. He seemed to give off a mood of being a ruler when everyone on the recess is equal. The illustrations on each page show the progression of the conflict. They are full of color and show all the emotions of every child. The theme of this story is that sharing is caring. George learned that if he initially shared with his classmates he would have never had the house taken when he left. This book teaches the reader and George that sharing can help you in the long run.

[Megan Goss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the end pages of the book. There are black and white sketched buildings and in the middle is a park that is colored. The perspective is bird's eye and your eye is drawn to the park. It's as if the park is the only thing that matters in a child's life and the buildings are just background space. I thought it was interesting that in the beginning, George was in color and the other kids were shaded in black. The only characters in color are the ones that are mentioned in the text at that time. For every child, George had some excuse why the other children couldn't come inside his house. I liked that the children turned it around on George ("not for people with red hair") so that he knew what it felt like to be left out. Then he realizes that the house is for everyone. The end pages at the back of the book show the park in color, the box and children in color as well as some color reaching out to the buildings.

[Sadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This is Our House" by Michael Rosen is about a group of children who have a cardboard box house and little by little, the number of members allowed into the house is lowered. The detailed illustrations coincide with the story line, and the colors draw focus to which member is being discriminated against at that point in the story. In the end, the role is reversed (the person discriminating becomes the person discriminated against) and the main child discovers the importance of sharing, and the benefit of having friends to play with. This is a very great book that shows children the benefit of sharing, but also the benefit of diversity in a community.

[Rachel Yingling · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is about a little boy who with his friends turns a cardboard box into a house. The little boy then does not want to share the house with anyone or let anyone else into it. Each of his friends get mad at him. Eventually he needs to leave the house and he tells no one to go into the house. His friends all go into the house after he leaves and then tell him that he isn't welcome back. The little boy realizes that the house should be for everyone and that no one should be excluded.

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book about inclusivity, justice, "the commons" (ie the idea that some things belong to the community not just the individual) and the power of combined and individual action to effect change.

Idealistic, relatable, simple and beautiful. And although I am reading it politically- it's very accessbile and doesn't come across heavy handed.

[Lorraine Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This can be used for:
- Younger children to show how to play
- show how to share
- demonstrate emotions of being left out
- demonstrate conversation text
- Multiple examples of using quotation marks

[Rimaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book is very amazing.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book about sharing, work perfectly for my students once when all hell broke loose over who sat where.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I like the message of the book, though found it was a bit didactic. I also enjoyed the simple illustrations and that the children managed to find a solution amongst themselves.

[Erica Mayberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does a great job at exploring discrimination of all types and shows that it is wrong.

[Cindy]

In the book "This is Our House" the box symbolizes the house. All the kids are fighting over the box and saying it is their house. The book has more than one illustration on a page on multiple pages so this would be considered as montage. The pictures in the book look as if they were painted and has watercolors.