This Is My House

by Arthur Dorros

Open your front door and learn about different houses around the world. Learn how to say "This is my house." in the language of each country.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Carmen Pagan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is My House written and illustrated by Arthur Dorros is a book that portrays what people from around the world call home. Not all houses are the same, some are tall others are small, some are made of wood, others are made of steel, some houses can move, and others are more permanent structures. This book depicts how the environment, lifestyle, culture, and climate all play a part of what makes a home.

Each page of this book has the location of the country the house is depicted in. The images show a connection between the country and the choices of material use to create the house. For example the houses shown for Mexico, Egypt, and Mali all are made out of stone of brick because this material can hold up to the dry climate and is more of a common resource found in those countries. Tropical houses depicted in the countries of Indonesia, Brazil, Samoa, and New Guinea, are seen being built with natural materials such as wood, trees, dries up plants and branches. Since it is to hot and tropical the use of these materials helps to make a shelter that allows for air to pass through the weaving of the branches and cool down the interior. The illustrations for homes for the countries USA, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Russia, all have closed in structures with glass windows to help keep the house warm or cool depending on the season.

The book says, “ this is my house” in seventeen different languages. This help to further emphasize the theme of diversity found through out this book and through out the world. The author in this book was able to depict many different cultures, clothing and life style from the knowledge and experiences he has had with building houses and traveling extensively through out South and Central America, Asia, the Middle East and south Pacific. The book shows daily activities of the different cultures such as fishing for food, chopping wood for fire, weaving plants to build a house, casting in mud to make bricks, sewing, herding the cattle and so on. The depictions of the people through out the book are implying different races/ ethnicities found in these countries through the illustrator’s choice of skin color and other features. For example the people depicted in Hong Kong all have light peach color skin with back hair, the people of Mali all have dark skin with curly hair, Norway people all have light skin and light hair and Indonesia all having tan skin with dark hair. Book like this one can broaden our understanding of the word around us as well as open a window into learning about other cultures and houses around the world.

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creative and interesting. The author shows us common homes in many different countries, and even includes how to say “this is my home” in each countries language (both written and with pronunciation). The author goes on to explain why houses might be made of different materials, and that not every house in a certain place is made the same. I’m glad the author touched on this fact because it helps to avoid stereotypes about how people In one place or another live.

[Kinley Kaelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is My House is a great way to show students the diversity around the world with the way everyone builds their houses and all of the materials that they use. This book also shows that a house is made a home by the people who live in them.

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the fact the author used different languages with pronunciations, to introduce different types of dwelling from different countries.

[Hoang Shin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author and illustrator, Arthur Dorros, does a beautiful job of portraying different types of homes around the world. The illustrations are beautifully detailed and paired with very simple text, which makes it an easy read for young readers. Each page features a different home, with brief descriptions of the home structure, family, or a fun fact about the character’s life, described by the characters that live in the homes. The people in the illustrations are also dressed in clothes that are authentic to their location in the world. The neat thing about this book is that it also includes translations and pronunciations of how to say, “this is my house”, in each of the characters’ native language (ex. In Bolivia, it is “Akax utaxawa”, pronounced as “ah-KAH-oo-tah-HAH-wah”).

As a literacy teacher, I would use this text to teach letter sounds, syllables, and letter blends. I would teach it by using the different translations of, “this is my house”, with the guide of the pronunciation key. I think my students will have fun learning how to pronounce new words as well as learn about new cultures as they read and tie the text to the colorful and rich illustrations. I think that this is a great multi-culture text that gives great insight to how differently people look, speak, and live around the world.

The author obviously does not represent all of the culture groups featured in the book, but he does have firsthand experience and exposure to them. Dollos has had previous experience in home construction as well as opportunities to visit numerous parts of the globe in his travels. Along his travels, he has encountered many villages and homes like the ones he has captured in his illustrations.

[Julie Graham 47150 · Rating 4 out of 5]

We learn about many different habitats in first grade (desert, rain forest, caves, ocean, etc.). We also learn about the many places we call home (solar system, planet, country, state, city, and street). First, we read a book about our solar system and learn that the sun is our closest star, we are the third planet from the sun, and then we act out the solar system (planets revolving around the sun). Second, we read three books about the Earth. We learn about its population and its diverse people. By learning about some of the people who live on Earth we discover that the habitats we have been studying (desert, ocean, rain forest, grasslands, etc.) are not only where animals live but where the people of Earth live. Next, we read books and watch videos about our country’s symbols (flag, Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty, and the National Anthem). Then, we learn special things about our state (Indianapolis 500, crop -corn, bird - cardinal, song – Back Home in Indiana). After we learn about our state we discover cool things about our city (Jeff Boat, the Ohio River, Schimpff’s Candy, and the Howard Steamboat Museum). Finally, we talk about different homes people live in and we read this book! It shows 22 different homes that are lived in by people from all over the world. Finally, we draw our own homes and discuss how they are different and the same.

[Gladys Sosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a joy reading this book because it shares with the reader information about many different places around the world (e.g., Brazil, Mexico, Turkey). With this book many differen concepts can be taught such as importance of family, community, globalization, our culture, cultures around the world. This book is a perfect tool to make students aware that we are part of a big community which is the world.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting nonfiction picture book that shows readers different houses around the world. The phrase, "This is my house" is repeated on each page in different languages. This book is awesome for comparing and contrasting homes in different countries. It's also a good mentor text for informational writing. I'm glad to have this in my classroom library.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores the diversity of homes around the world. I love that is emphasizes on how people make houses using any materials they can find, houses can be tall or short, but the people inside is what makes the HOME. For each country it explore it also says This is My House in their langauge.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to introduce different cultures, languages, and homes around the world. I love how the book includes the authentic language of the country whose home it examines. A great way to meet social studies standards and to help students understand how people live around the world.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

REALLY cool book about what types of houses exist all over the world and throughout history. it even had the language of the country and culture you were learning about and how to say it correctly. even the english dialects were there. very cool.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book to teach about different homes and cultures. The book is comprised of 15 different languages.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

love the different languages in saying THIS IS MY HOUSE

[Calla Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book goes through different countries, and says as to how the houses are built for each child. As well as the language they speak in!

This book would be so epic for an intro unit of different cultures. You could have kids pick our their favorite page and draw it, and try to pronounce the words “this is my house” in the language. You could even make it go into other subjects, like math. Have everyone count to 10 in the different languages!