This is Our House

"Playground dynamics become testy as a willful child attempts to exclude everyone else in this simple, humorous lesson in human relations. . . . Deft and funny." —THE HORN BOOK

George has a house made from a big cardboard box, and he says that no one else at the playground can come in. Not Lindy, because George's house "isn't for girls," nor Freddie, because it "isn't for small people." Sophie can't come in because, George says, "This house isn't for people with glasses." But when George leaves his house for a moment, everyone piles in, and on his return, George gets a taste of his own medicine. Aided by Bob Graham's striking illustrations of an urban playground, Michael Rosen tells the tale of a little boy who makes a big discovery — that letting everyone into his playhouse is a lot more fun than keeping them out."Every word of the trenchant text rings true." —Publishers Weekly

"Rosen...has written a persuasive and entertaining morality play. For all its cadences, the dialogue is pungently realistic, perfectly reflecting the reasoning that goes on among children. The ethnically diverse cast appears against a stark white urban background of high-rise apartment buildings. These unassuming pictures are surprisingly powerful; Graham grays some characters and leaves others in full- color to shift the spotlight from scene to scene, then further emphasizes this theatrical effect by zooming in or pulling back from the action." —Kirkus Reviews