Jeannie Baker

Australian children's book author/artist Jeannie Baker delivers an immensely engaging wordless picture-book in Home, which follows the life story of a young girl who grows to adulthood in an urban landscape that, over time, and through hard work on the part of neighborhood residents, becomes a natural oasis. Each two-page spread sees Tracy at a slightly older age, while her back yard, and the street beyond, is slowly transformed. From the first step of planting grass where concrete used to show more prevail, to reclaiming their street, and blocking it off from automobile traffic, the people in this small corner of the city gradually remake their corner of the world, turning it from a collection of buildings into a home.

A wonderful book that, entirely through illustrations, tells an engrossing story, Home also has an important message to impart, about participating in the community around us, about wise use of our resources and space, in more crowded environments, and about the joys of nature, even in the city. The artwork itself is done in collage, and is incredibly appealing. Sometimes this kind of project works for me, and sometimes it doesn't: Jeannie Baker's book is definitely in the first category! I'm excited to try more of her titles (such as Mirror, which I currently have checked out from the library), and thank my online friends, as ever (Kathryn and Lisa: I'm looking at you, with this one!), for putting me on to such wonderful books, that I might otherwise never have discovered! show less

The second wordless picture-book I have 'read' from immensely talented Australian children's author/artist Jeannie Baker - the first was the marvelous Home - this innovative book is really two stories in one. Or rather, two iterations of the same basic story, that mirror one another. Opening on both sides, Mirror chronicles the day in the life of two boys: one living in Sydney, Australia, the other in Morocco's Valley of the Roses. These tales are obvious companion pieces, meant to be read show more together, in their facing page foldouts, and they follow their two young protagonists through days that are both similar and dissimilar. The clothing they wear and the food they eat may be different, but both begin the day by dressing, and by having the breakfasts prepared by their mothers. Their modes of transportation may be different, but both accompany their father into a public marketplace, of sorts, to conduct the business of either buying and selling - a process that turns out to be connected, despite the distance lying between Morocco and Australia. A wonderful, thought-provoking book, one that can teach about both human diversity and unity, Mirror is printed (title, introduction, afterword) in English on one side, and Arabic on the other, making this a book that truly can be appreciated by people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Highly recommend to anyone looking for children's books about the world's diverse peoples, and those things that tie us together - think books like Children Just Like Me, or My Librarian Is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World - or to fans of Jeannie Baker, and wordless picture-books. show less

This was an amazing book. The concept of two stories and tow families told side by side without words is so innovative. On the left side of the book is a day in the life of an Australian family (read left to right) and on the right side of the book is the day in the life of a Moroccan family (read right to left). Even how the book was constructed was cool, if a little difficult to manage without laying it flat on the table. I also loved the artwork, collages of found materials that seem to show more float off the page. show less

I really enjoyed this picture book. It was very deep even without any words. I really liked the message it was sending, that humans were destroying all of the natural environment for houses and such things.