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483rd out of 567 books
—
210 voters
We Were Tired of Living in a House
Sometimes, living in a house can be tiresome. So these siblings pack a bag and take a hike, to find another place. From a treehouse to a raft, a cave to a sandcastle -- each place seems perfect to them. That is, until they tumble out of the treehouse, their raft sinks, they meet the bears who already live in the cave, and the tide turns them out of their sandcastle. Like G...more
Hardcover
Published
May 3rd 1999
by Putnam Juvenile
(first published 1969)
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I love the original version of this book--from the early seventies--which had much better illustrations. I would have given this 5 stars if it were the original version, but that seems to be out of print. You may be able to find it at the library still. The new text is probably still the same, and it is a wonderful story, but if you can find the original, do so! The illustrations in this newer version are lame. Ugly. A sad change.
Anyway, the great things about the story are...
1.That the kids s...more
Anyway, the great things about the story are...
1.That the kids s...more
If I could give this book a split rating, it would be story-5/illustrations-1. I first owned this book through the Weekly Reader Children's Book Club, and the illustrator of that edition was Doris Burn (1969). If you can find this edition, read it!
In this newer release(1999), I find the colors to be lurid and completely overwhelming to the charm and simplicity of the story. The characters are flat, and they and the landscapes are one-dimensional, and the brush techniques make the children look a...more
In this newer release(1999), I find the colors to be lurid and completely overwhelming to the charm and simplicity of the story. The characters are flat, and they and the landscapes are one-dimensional, and the brush techniques make the children look a...more
What a delightful story! It captures the spirit of adventure, the love of outdoors, the bountiful imagination of children. Each home the children discover is delightful in its own way. I enjoyed the cumulative nature of the storytelling, too.
I wish my library had the original edition, with illustrations by Doris Burn. I will have to keep my eye out for an inexpensive used copy because I know I would love those illustrations. The few illustrations I've seen online are wonderful and so well suited...more
I wish my library had the original edition, with illustrations by Doris Burn. I will have to keep my eye out for an inexpensive used copy because I know I would love those illustrations. The few illustrations I've seen online are wonderful and so well suited...more
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Cute read aloud picture book for small children about 3 kids who are tired of living at home.
"Where would you go if you were tired of being at home?" Would be a great opening questions before sharing this book. You can ask your students)what would be the pros and cons about living in a tree house. An educator, or parent, could show how to makes these lists and have the kids write down their ideas or get into groups and discuss their thoughts. Lots of fun, simple ways to incorporated this book i...more
"Where would you go if you were tired of being at home?" Would be a great opening questions before sharing this book. You can ask your students)what would be the pros and cons about living in a tree house. An educator, or parent, could show how to makes these lists and have the kids write down their ideas or get into groups and discuss their thoughts. Lots of fun, simple ways to incorporated this book i...more
My copy of this is actually the one my mom used to read to my brothers and I as very small children and it is still very much a favorite. The kids I babysit love reading it too. I would use this book to talk about different ecosystems and habitats. I might also use it as an opportunity to introduce the class to the school, and me as a teacher, by doing an "I'm tired of teaching in a classroom" activity.
I don't think the person who wrote the blurb used here understood the book. It is not like Goldilocks. The kids are not having scary misadventures. They do not learn a lesson. It is perfectly obvious from the illustrations that the brothers and sister are out having a day of play in nature and their mother knows where they are. This is much more like Swallows and Amazons with younger kids than like Goldilocks. All very peaceful and cheerful.
I love this book. My mother would read it to us when we were little. I still have the line memorized, "We were tired of living in a house so we packed our bags with sweaters and socks and a frog who was a particular friend ..." I was so excited when it was put in print again when my boys were little so that I could share the story with them.
Hip, hip, hooray for free play and imaginative play!!! I just loved this book. I was skeptical, despite two friends each assigning this book 4 stars, because the cover illustration didn’t appeal to me.
But, I enjoyed the illustrations, and the story is wonderful. It’s a fabulous book for read aloud, just terrific, and independent readers are also likely to enjoy reading it themselves. The cumulative story is amusing and sweet and silly and fun, and great for nature lovers and kids who like to hav...more
But, I enjoyed the illustrations, and the story is wonderful. It’s a fabulous book for read aloud, just terrific, and independent readers are also likely to enjoy reading it themselves. The cumulative story is amusing and sweet and silly and fun, and great for nature lovers and kids who like to hav...more
The older version has much better illustrations and is the one I remember from my childhood. The older illustrations are done by Doris Burn. My children love this book as well. I happened to find it at a used bookstore for fairly cheap but it is quite expensive for a used book online.
If you are going to buy this book, make sure you get the one that has the Doris Burn illustrations. They are much better than the ones in this edition.
This is one of my top three favorite books from my childhood. Every child should have their own copy.
This is one of my top three favorite books from my childhood. Every child should have their own copy.
This 5-star rating is for the older edition; this new edition with different art isn't nearly so good. But the old one...yeah. That's a great book.
This IS NOT my favorite book ever. The original version, illustrated by Elsie Minarek (sp?) is my favorite. Why mess with perfection? BOO!
Beautiful book. The kids set off to find another dwelling in a tree, a pond, etc. and discover how much they love home. Fun!
My boys love this book. I don't think I will ever tire of reading it to them. Fun descriptive and imaginative words.
"We were tired of living in a house." So starts the charming picture book of the same title. The three little children set off to find a new place to live--they try a tree, a pond, a cave, and the sea; but there is something not quite right about each place. So every time, they pack up (with just a little more stuff each time), and move on. Finally, the three decide that living in a house might not be so bad after all.
Cute book with bright, bold and colorful illustrations. I didn't love the illu...more
Cute book with bright, bold and colorful illustrations. I didn't love the illu...more
This was a book I had to read and present to my class. I thought it was a pretty cute and enjoyable book.
I only put one picture book a year on here and this is it.
It is such a fun book. Love it.
It is such a fun book. Love it.
This is a great book that is fun to read out loud. I like the different place they live.
Still a great book -- much the original illustrations were much, MUCH better!
Sep 16, 2012
Barbara Brien
marked it as to-read
Pretty sure I read this as a child, but I'll have to find a copy to be sure.
Feb 13, 2013
Cheryl in CC NV
marked it as maybe-to-read-but-not-in-clan
ordered from white pine but they probably won't share
I love the illustrations in the older edition also!
Everyone Needs a Home - unit 4
Leveled Books - Advanced
Leveled Books - Advanced
This was my absoulte favorite book when I was growing up!!!
Cute book. Interesting black and white drawings.
Cute pictures and story
One of Sam's favorites
so cute!
a sweet story for young children about home is best
A book that relates to children's curiosity about living in other places such as their treehouse. Cute but not particularly intelligent. There are a lot of different kinds of real houses in the world and this is not about understanding the pros and cons of different kinds of real dwellings. See my review of a really great book on really unusual human dwellings called Built By Hand.
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