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This House, Once
Deborah Freedman’s masterful new picture book is at once an introduction to the pieces of a house, a cozy story to share and explore, and a dreamy meditation on the magic of our homes and our world.
Before there was this house,
there were stones,
and mud,
and a colossal oak tree—
three hugs around
and as high as the blue.
What was your home, once?
This poetically simple, thought-provoking, and gorgeously illustrated book invites readers to think about where things come from and what nature provides.
Before there was this house,
there were stones,
and mud,
and a colossal oak tree—
three hugs around
and as high as the blue.
What was your home, once?
This poetically simple, thought-provoking, and gorgeously illustrated book invites readers to think about where things come from and what nature provides.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published February 28, 2017
1 person is currently reading
797 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Freedman
13 books209 followersOnce upon a time, I was an architect. But now I'd much rather build worlds in books. :)
I am the author and illustrator of 12 of them, featuring protagonists that include an earthworm searching for its purpose in life, a house that dreams of its origins, and a character that is almost too shy to appear in its own book.
My stories have been translated into ten different languages, adopted in classrooms across the country, and honored with many starred reviews and awards. I live in a colorful house in Connecticut, where I'm always busy at work on my next books.
I love reading books and telling you about them; I hate rating them! Let's just say that if I didn't like a book, it isn't here at all.
Website: www.deborahfreedman.net
—with tons of free resources for readers, and a sign-up for my eNewsletter
Bluesky: @DeborahFreedman.net
Facebook: Deborah Freedman, Author & Illustrator
Instagram, Threads: @FreedmanIllustrates
—stop by and say hi!
I am the author and illustrator of 12 of them, featuring protagonists that include an earthworm searching for its purpose in life, a house that dreams of its origins, and a character that is almost too shy to appear in its own book.
My stories have been translated into ten different languages, adopted in classrooms across the country, and honored with many starred reviews and awards. I live in a colorful house in Connecticut, where I'm always busy at work on my next books.
I love reading books and telling you about them; I hate rating them! Let's just say that if I didn't like a book, it isn't here at all.
Website: www.deborahfreedman.net
—with tons of free resources for readers, and a sign-up for my eNewsletter
Bluesky: @DeborahFreedman.net
Facebook: Deborah Freedman, Author & Illustrator
Instagram, Threads: @FreedmanIllustrates
—stop by and say hi!
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
August 31, 2017
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This beautifully illustrated book is a powerful and poetic story about a house that was, at one point, only stones and bricks. Children will discover that every piece of the house came from the earth. It’s a thought-provoking and beautiful story.
We especially enjoyed the illustrations including all the little animals pictured all around in nature. This is a very simple read and I appreciated the note to readers at the end which provokes discussion. 4****
Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool – 3
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (February 28, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1481442848
ISBN-13: 978-1481442848
This beautifully illustrated book is a powerful and poetic story about a house that was, at one point, only stones and bricks. Children will discover that every piece of the house came from the earth. It’s a thought-provoking and beautiful story.
We especially enjoyed the illustrations including all the little animals pictured all around in nature. This is a very simple read and I appreciated the note to readers at the end which provokes discussion. 4****
Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool – 3
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (February 28, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1481442848
ISBN-13: 978-1481442848
February 4, 2017
Tender and beautiful. Freedman' best yet!
December 21, 2017
I loved this book. I loved the art. I loved the concept.
March 4, 2017
Phew, Deborah Freedman is rivaling Renata Liwska as my favorite illustrator.
Soft, quiet and whimsical. Plus, a cat. <3
Soft, quiet and whimsical. Plus, a cat. <3
August 5, 2017
I'm on the hunt for really beautiful books, meaning lovely illustrations. In this hunt, I've discovered I still need some text to back it up. The imagery in the book is realistic and fantastic at the same time. White space and font are right on, but the actual words need some work. It starts off strong and I wish the first two pages expanded throughout the rest of the book. "This door was once a colossal oak tree about three hugs around and as high as the blue."
March 18, 2017
Not only is this book gorgeous it might become a classic. I don't say that very often and I sure hope it does. Freedman can truly evoke atmosphere and emotion. A must read/must own.
December 12, 2017
3.5 out of 5
This House, Once has an interesting idea, a lovely font, a creative use of white space, and cozy, dreamy, evocative illustrations:
As Kirkus Reviews puts it, this picturebook’s “arc emphasizes shelter but also human use of nature, so the feelings of warmth, safety, and coziness hold the faintest tinge of melancholy and loss.”
Just like the illustrations, Deborah Freedman’s text is soft and poetic (e.g. “This door was once a colossal oak tree / about three hugs around / and as high as the blue.”), but at times it can be rather convoluted because a couple of long, complex sentences are broken down into smaller segments scattered on multiple pages:
This House, Once has an interesting idea, a lovely font, a creative use of white space, and cozy, dreamy, evocative illustrations:
As Kirkus Reviews puts it, this picturebook’s “arc emphasizes shelter but also human use of nature, so the feelings of warmth, safety, and coziness hold the faintest tinge of melancholy and loss.”
Just like the illustrations, Deborah Freedman’s text is soft and poetic (e.g. “This door was once a colossal oak tree / about three hugs around / and as high as the blue.”), but at times it can be rather convoluted because a couple of long, complex sentences are broken down into smaller segments scattered on multiple pages:
“This window was sand once, [next page]or
that melted to glass [page turn]
in flames, like the fire [next page]
that warms this house [page turn]
and lights doorknob, bookshelf, [next page]
under-the-stair…”
“This house remembers, [page turn]
drowsy with dreams [next page]
that drift in through this door, [page turn]
which once [next page]
was an oak.”
April 17, 2017
Adorable. Made me think of my own home and what it represents.
August 30, 2019
Author/artist Deborah Freedman explores the history of a house - specifically, the history of the materials that make up the house - in this sixth picture-book. From the door of the house, which came from a mighty oak tree, to the stones that form the foundation, which were once found deep underground, everything involved in the house was once something else.
A lovely, quiet, and contemplative book, This House, Once is a warmhearted and tender tribute to the idea of a house, not just as a structure, but as a home. By emphasizing how the physical materials involved were once something else, Freedman highlights how much effort went into creating this special structure. By having an adorable little cat witness the process, she emphasizes the residents that will live in the house, and the cozy, home-like feeling it will have. The artwork, done in pencil and watercolor, with bits of pencil and pastel, is simply beautiful. The text here is simple, and not really a story, but is appealing all the same. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books about the idea of home as something that is built and treasured.
A lovely, quiet, and contemplative book, This House, Once is a warmhearted and tender tribute to the idea of a house, not just as a structure, but as a home. By emphasizing how the physical materials involved were once something else, Freedman highlights how much effort went into creating this special structure. By having an adorable little cat witness the process, she emphasizes the residents that will live in the house, and the cozy, home-like feeling it will have. The artwork, done in pencil and watercolor, with bits of pencil and pastel, is simply beautiful. The text here is simple, and not really a story, but is appealing all the same. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books about the idea of home as something that is built and treasured.
September 7, 2022
An interesting little book about what a house's materials started out as, that ends out a little dreamy.
April 27, 2017
The few words in this poetic, free-verse narrative left me breathless. Paired with illustrations which intersperse equally perfect spare-on-white spreads with gloriously evocative and emotive, subtly-colored double page spreads, this book is a marvel. The underlying concept could be as bare and boring as mud, literally, but instead is an intensely loving and warm-hearted experience, wrapping readers in insight, emotion, and a comforting curiosity.
February 2, 2020
This is an adorable little book, and Emily Arrow's song/video inspired by it is a sweet and catchy accompaniment. So cute.
September 19, 2018
Every home was once something else, from the door to the windows, they used to exist as other things, trees, and stones, and sand. With a simple, yet fondly nostalgic text, Freedman reminds us of these facts, building up a home piece by piece, while tiny critters play. The art of This House, Once has a dreamlike quality to it from the hazy watercolours, and soft pencils. Purple forms the palettes core, with splashes of blues, greens, browns, and reds to add touches of warmth. Not only does this book portray the notion of building a house in the literal sense, it also refers to it in a metaphorical way as well, as is evident from the sentimental dedication at the front of the book. Homes are made of people, and animals, not just the blocks that make up the walls, and all of them are different. Freedman's charming message, and beautiful paintings, will touch your heart.
April 25, 2018
This book poetically speaks of the origins of "this house," where a cute little kitten and child live. I love how it shows how the door used to be an oak tree, and the bricks were mud, and the stones were hiding underground. The illustrations are beautiful, and there's an invitation to wonder and imagine what one's home used to be and the stories all the different parts of the house may have.
The kids loved it too, and voted to give it five stars.
The kids loved it too, and voted to give it five stars.
December 2, 2018
I absolutely love books like this one that make you look at the world a little differently. This story, is so beautiful that the prose becomes poetry, the illustrations become glimpsed imaginings into a dream that I once had.
Can you tell I love this book?
I want to visit this house in all it's moods, and touch each item within the walls and ask it what it once was. I want to remember things I never knew.
Can you tell I love this book?
I want to visit this house in all it's moods, and touch each item within the walls and ask it what it once was. I want to remember things I never knew.
March 20, 2017
A really great book about a house and what it is made of. Each item is made from something that comes from the earth.
April 7, 2017
Simple and profound, this picture book by a master author/illustrator takes a look at the wonder behind everyday objects like a house. The door was once a huge oak tree. The stones were raised from deep underground. The bricks came from mud that was baked hard. The windows were once sand. The book takes a quiet and focused look at the transformation of materials into the items that surround us.
I find myself unable to capture in words the beauty of this quiet book. It has a gorgeous meditative quality to it, a look at the importance of the history of our things, their origins and the skill that it took to make them. Freedman manages to convey all of that with simple words and taking a look at where all of the parts of the house came from one after another. The ending wraps it all up, tying it all back to the front door as the house comes to life around the reader.
Freedman’s art is dreamy and soft. She creates clouds and leaves with watercolors that feather on the page. Young animals play together in the natural settings that the objects originated in. There are puddles, mud, stones underground, and more. Then the house, solid and warm, lit with by a fireplace, still open to dreams.
A brilliant picture book that will entrance young readers, little builders and budding scientists. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
I find myself unable to capture in words the beauty of this quiet book. It has a gorgeous meditative quality to it, a look at the importance of the history of our things, their origins and the skill that it took to make them. Freedman manages to convey all of that with simple words and taking a look at where all of the parts of the house came from one after another. The ending wraps it all up, tying it all back to the front door as the house comes to life around the reader.
Freedman’s art is dreamy and soft. She creates clouds and leaves with watercolors that feather on the page. Young animals play together in the natural settings that the objects originated in. There are puddles, mud, stones underground, and more. Then the house, solid and warm, lit with by a fireplace, still open to dreams.
A brilliant picture book that will entrance young readers, little builders and budding scientists. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
January 16, 2018
Gorgeous illustrations. Simple (yet thought provoking) text.
January 29, 2018
Beautifully illustrated book, concept is thought provoking. May be good for grade schoolers as I think the story itself is a bit esoteric for younger children.
March 13, 2024
Cool lesson about before and after, sweet soft art.
April 17, 2017
I received this book from the Amazon Vine program to review.
An uncomplicated, yet elegant bedtime or anytime book to add to your young one's shelf.
"This House, Once" is a large hardcover book with excellent quality pages.
But of course, as with any book, it is what's inside that matters most.
This sweet and gentle book is one beginning readers can enjoy by themselves, yet even more enjoyment is to be had by sitting with your little one and perusing the words and illustrations together.
Each illustration is in softly muted pastels. The pictures are simple, the story is simple, yet together they are an eloquent tribute to the things the earth provided to make a house a home.
You can follow the house's kitty on almost every page as you read the book, and look for the details in each of the fall and winter scenes.
"This House, Once" is the perfect short bedtime story.
Move over, "Goodnight Moon." There is some friendly competition on the bookshelf!
An uncomplicated, yet elegant bedtime or anytime book to add to your young one's shelf.
"This House, Once" is a large hardcover book with excellent quality pages.
But of course, as with any book, it is what's inside that matters most.
This sweet and gentle book is one beginning readers can enjoy by themselves, yet even more enjoyment is to be had by sitting with your little one and perusing the words and illustrations together.
Each illustration is in softly muted pastels. The pictures are simple, the story is simple, yet together they are an eloquent tribute to the things the earth provided to make a house a home.
You can follow the house's kitty on almost every page as you read the book, and look for the details in each of the fall and winter scenes.
"This House, Once" is the perfect short bedtime story.
Move over, "Goodnight Moon." There is some friendly competition on the bookshelf!
December 24, 2019
Such peaceful illustrations.
March 16, 2017
A quiet and powerful story of origins. Stunning illustrations with some pages left without any words, bring the tale to life
March 10, 2017
My three years old daughter's review:
Me: What did you think of this book?
My daughter:I think of the kitty witty and all his friends in the mud.
I want to start off by thanking Deborah Freedman for sending me a copy through a giveaway.
This book is really adorable it is telling you about where the things that built this house came from and the little characters (Kitty,frog,bird,turtle,squirrel) are going on little adventures where the items from the house where before they became part of the house.The illustrations are very beautiful and soft on the eyes.
Me: What did you think of this book?
My daughter:I think of the kitty witty and all his friends in the mud.
I want to start off by thanking Deborah Freedman for sending me a copy through a giveaway.
This book is really adorable it is telling you about where the things that built this house came from and the little characters (Kitty,frog,bird,turtle,squirrel) are going on little adventures where the items from the house where before they became part of the house.The illustrations are very beautiful and soft on the eyes.
March 7, 2017
New this year, and it’s a marvelous one. It’s just right for showing what a home is, starting with “this door was once a colossal oak tree/about three hugs around/and as high as the blue”. There is more about the source of the stone, the bricks, and the roof until a sweet cat and a young child reading under the stairs inhabit “This House”. It’s a beautifully wrought invitation that asks about one’s own house, too. Illustrations explore the words in soft colors that move through the seasons until spring, declaring that the house remembers, too.
I remember houses in my growing up, and those I lived in with my husband, what we did to make them special for us. Here is one. We bought a house lakeside once, that had started out as a small cabin, that "inner room with a fireplace." The part I know about this house, ONCE was that the people who built it used stones from the lake's edge to build the floor to ceiling fireplace. It was gorgeous. By the time we moved there, the inner part was surrounded by bedrooms and baths, two porches and a kitchen. We added a deck and a new dock for our boat. Lake living was our home, once.
I remember houses in my growing up, and those I lived in with my husband, what we did to make them special for us. Here is one. We bought a house lakeside once, that had started out as a small cabin, that "inner room with a fireplace." The part I know about this house, ONCE was that the people who built it used stones from the lake's edge to build the floor to ceiling fireplace. It was gorgeous. By the time we moved there, the inner part was surrounded by bedrooms and baths, two porches and a kitchen. We added a deck and a new dock for our boat. Lake living was our home, once.
July 28, 2017
Bookaday #57. 4.5 stars. Love the quiet prose, the question that the author poses for the origins of the house, the gentle illustrations that I wish weren't quite so dark. Great bedtime story or mentor text.
March 8, 2017
Each element of this house came from somewhere that it remembers. The rocks from under the ground, the wood from a tree, the windows from sand. In a beautiful narrative, this book tells the story of a house while also educating readers on how those pieces are made. Simple, short text coupled with lovely images makes this an enjoyable read on every level.
April 12, 2017
Beautiful book! I loved it!
July 27, 2017
This would be great to read at the beginning of our structures unit.
Emily Arrow shares what this book is about best of all:
https://youtu.be/pS2ynR5UcTE
March 14, 2017
A beautiful book exploring what our homes are made of, doors made from trees, windows made from sand etc. I loved the stunning illustrations. The whole book has a lovely soft, cozy feel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews