All the Animals Where I Live

by Philip C. Stead

Phil Stead takes us on a tour of all of the animals near his home.

The author used to live in the busy city where there were buses and trains, and people waiting for buses and trains.

Now he lives in the country and takes us on a tour of his home, pointing out all the animals that share his space. There are stuffed bears and quilted chickens. His dog Wednesday watches cranes, frogs, and dragonflies live their lives. Coyotes and chipmunks come and go, and the world around where he lives is full of life, until winter comes, and there is nothing but snow.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Nature, Dogs, Fiction, Juvenile

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Philip C. Stead is the author of the Caldecott Medal winning book A Sick Day for Amos McGee, also named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2010 and a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2010, illustrated by his wife, Erin E. Stead. Together with Erin, he also created Bear Has a Story to Tell, an E.B. White Read-Aloud Award honor book. Philip, also an artist, has written and illustrated several of his own books including Hello, My Name is Ruby, Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat, A Home for Bird, and his debut Creamed Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast, which was applauded by School Library Journal for “its wry humor and illustrations worthy of a Roald Dahl creation.” Philip lives with Erin and their dog, Wednesday, in a 100-year-old barn in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Reviews

[DaNae · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a stillness about the Stead's work that I have always loved, but more and more I'm finding their work self-indulgent and straying from the job of engaging young readers. In it elements this is a beautiful book, but not at all riveting. More of a stream of conscience exercise with lovely drawings and soft colors.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the Animals Where I Live by Philip C. Stead is a gem of a picture book. The more I read it, the more I love it! I feel like everyone will see and feel something different each and every time they open it.

Mr. Stead shares his new country home surroundings and memories with readers animal by animal and season by season. From his dog (Wednesday), cats, and chicken quilts to wild turkeys, bears and deer. They are all in here and more! So many animals come to life in gentle, pale shades and lines. The barely there greens and yellows sit side by side with darker greens and browns to somehow highlight the wide open spaces. Soft pages filled with light leaf prints and drawings of teddy bears, animals—big and small, and the land that surrounds them come together to tell the story of passing time and the changes all around us. I loved flipping through this book. It felt warm and…this might sound strange, but it felt like I learned something important. Something big and life affirming is hinted at and whispered in the pictures and words.

The words charmed me as well. The beautiful, honest, matter of fact tone and language hit home for me.

“At night it is quiet.
But only until you listen.
There are a lot of little things playing their music in the moonlight.”

Come meet the toads, hummingbirds, cranes, squirrels, turtles, chipmunks, coyotes, and the big, wise owl. The final line and page brought such peace to my heart. Beautiful!

Highly recommended.

[Jordan Henrichs · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could separate my Goodreads rating, I would, because the artwork is lovely. Typical Stead. Worth more than 5 stars. The text however, left me scratching my head a bit. Is this about animals? Or Grandma Jane? Or the seasons? I don't really know. What I do know is that this is definitely the type of book that only someone with Stead's clout could pull off.

[Carrie Gelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some lovely pages. Is this a book kids will relate to? Not so sure. Feel like it is a memory walk that adults will connect to more than children.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to live near Philip Stead and see all the animals, especially Wednesday! Stead is one of my favorite author/illustrators, and this one is my favorite so far. I love how he frames all the descriptions of Wednesday and the other animals with his memories of his Grandma Jane--the stuffed bear she gave him which he still draws "when I don't know what to draw," and the room in her house that smelled of maple syrup, and the homemade chicken blanket he slept under when he spent the night at her house. Pretty close to a perfect book for me!

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine being Philip C. Stead and having so much clout that you can just illustrate your stream of consciousness as you look around your northern Michigan country home and editors will beg to publish it. (Not for nothing - this was a good’n).

[Laura Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I love Philip Stead. He is maybe number four on my list of favorite current picture book illustrator's. Only topped by Brendan Wenzel, Lane Smith and Kevin Henkes. There is good news and there is bad news in my review. The bad news is there really isn't a story. Not even a hint of one. The good news is that the illustrations are phenomenal. The best that I have ever seen in one of his books. For that reason I am giving four stars.

[Debrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Musings and noticings, through the eyes of the author enjoying seeing through his dog's eyes, about the animals they encounter in annual life in northern Michigan.

Tiniest of quibbles:
An eagle drops a turtle, who begins "his" long walk home... It just bugs me when everyone defaults to the male pronoun when discussing random animals. Why can't the turtle be a she? Why not simply it, to preserve the mystery and the equal likelihood?

And: the dog chases the deer. It's a game they play. Maybe. Or maybe it's a game to the dog. I've watched this pattern on a ranch where the deer habitually enter the garden and the dog casually shoos them off. I'd say the deer are not that impressed, but on the other hand, they really do need that food and the females and young are nervous. Not really a game to them.

I only quibble because I was so drawn in to the story that I was sad when these parts bumped me out.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the sketchy looking illustrations in ink, marker, and various printing techniques, with the color washes behind the sketches. Stead seems to be musing about the seasons and the various animals and pets that he enjoys being around, now that he lives in the country.

[Daphne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book feels like the author is murmuring in your ear, trying to help you go to sleep, weaving together nonsensical yet sensical details of his life, involving his childhood teddy bear, his yard in the country, and his dog Wednesday's interesting dog days in a world much like Grandma Jane's. I like the rambly, loosely woven feel of this book - it reminds me of Grandma Jane's chicken quilt, where lasting memories are created by small, incidental things. There is power in remembering small things with love.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

God DAMN that's good.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful, meditative celebration of backyard wildlife, presented in a childlike voice. The sketchbook-style illustrations are a joy to look at. Any child who needs a reminder of the wonder that awaits them away from the screen, or adult who just wants to reminisce and be reminded, will enjoy this one.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork was gorgeous. However the storyline did not flow.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awesome art. Love the print of found leaves and branches. Like how the story includes Wednesday but doesn’t become her story, per se. Really the art is what draws me in...

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reflection on nature and nostalgia that's aimed at children but will resonate with adults, possibly more than it will with kids. I like the sketchy illustrations, and of course the scrappy dog is my favorite.

[Linda Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure about kid appeal, but I loved this book.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the meditative, conversational tone of this book seems more suited to an adult audience looking back with fondness at its own childhood than to young readers, I was touched by many of its lines and images. Clearly, the author/illustrator loves living in the country and observing the seasons and the wildlife near his home. He also seems to have a deep bond with his dog, Wednesday, who provides plenty of amusement as well. I do think there will be young readers who will relate to the ruminations here as Stead gives them a peek into his creative process and shares stories about a neighbor and memories of his Grandma Jane who he envisions as a hummingbird if she were an animal. It might seem that these pages and memories are not connected, but they are, and they are sure to prompt some reflections of their own on the part of readers who will see that these little moments that might not matter to others such as a dog sitting by a bird feeder watching out for other animals or birds searching for seeds on the ground are immensely important and make life worth living. Even the turtle who narrowly escapes death reminds readers that sometimes survival comes simply through an accident. The illustrations have been created by hand with oil ink monoprints, printing from found objects and China markers and calligraphy brushes. I have liked this one more each time I read it. I'm not sure how I'd use it in the classroom, perhaps only by sharing its lovely tone and those striking images that make me think about my own memories of sleeping under a special quilt made by my great-grandmother.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALL THE ANIMALS WHERE I LIVE is a meditative, meandering picture book journey that exalts in the smallest details. Stead's welcoming voice and innovative illustrations are as delightful and gentle as ever.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the stillness and the way the prose sort of resembles a young child's way of talking. However, this also makes the book feel a bit pointless and disjointed. This seems like more of a book for nostalgic adults than one for children.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you've lived in northern Michigan, hiked through the woods, walked meadow pathways, strolled along one of the many beaches, canoed in the rivers and gazed at the night sky brimming with stars, the conveniences of life in a city downstate do not compare to the beauty one can see every single day in the tip of the mitt. Recently returning to this area has offered the opportunity to see some of Mother Nature's gorgeous displays when walking with my furry friend through the woods and along Lake Charlevoix. You notice the oddly shaped tree, the lichen growing on rocks along the road and the work of woodpeckers. The play of sunlight and shadow is breathtaking.

Author illustrator Philip Stead, who gave children's literature the wonderfully creative Ideas Are All Around (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, March 1, 2016) through observations when walking with his dog Wednesday, brings another reflective book about taking note of your surroundings as well as how the past blends with the present. All the Animals Where I Live (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, March 20, 2018) acquaints us with the area in which the Steads and Wednesday now reside. They have moved from the city to an old farmhouse in the country.


My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of this book should be “All the Thoughts in My Head.” As advertised on the cover, there are animals in someone’s front yard—turkeys, a bear—but also a crotchety old woman, plus a mysterious urbanite who becomes a country dweller and reminisces about a little boy and his teddy bear. Turns out that the old woman is actually Grandma Jane, who once made a blanket and then turned into a hummingbird in someone’s imagination until she flew away. Then there’s a dog, some noisy cranes, a sleepy toad, an angry eagle, a happy turtle, a sad coyote, hungry deer, industrious rodents, and busy birds. Seasons happen all the while with a drizzle of maple syrup. Pastel illustrations seem like a patchwork of fading memories for this picture-book memoir, presumably about the author’s childhood in an ever-distant past.

[Laura Giessler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, this book by Philip Stead is hard to categorize and hard to rate. It has the meandering style of Ideas All Around. Some pages are lovely--like the one describing Grandma Jane as a hummingbird, "flitting and buzzing and always busy, gathering fluff and knitting it into a comfortable nest". But overall, the book was a bit frustrating. I was trying to follow a story line--it's about an old woman; no, about Frederick the bear; no, about Grandma Jane; no, about Wednesday and other animals; or is it about seasons? What is this book about?? The text honestly seems a bit lazy, like he worked on some pages, but on others, just lifted thoughts from his journal or jotted down what he was thinking about.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stead has created another picture book that invites you into his everyday world. Filled with stories of a bear chased off my an elderly woman and a teddy bear that Stead has had his entire life, stories of maple-syrup scented blankets, a dog named Wednesday, loud cranes, a falling turtle, and much more.

There is a beautiful simplicity to the book, one that slows the reader down to look out their own windows and think about the animals that live near them. The illustrations are simple too, washed with colors that suit the season and time of day, they move from yellows to blues to the oranges of autumn and to the ethereal greens of winter. A quiet and marvelous picture book. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Philip Stead introduces readers to the animals that live around his home.

This is a kind of stream of consciousness story in that Stead starts talking about an animal that his neighbor saw, that leads him to a stuffed animal his grandma gave him, then he talks about her, then he tells what animal she would be if she were an animal, and then what other animals she'd see as an animal if she were to visit where he lives now. It is an odd flow for a kid's book, but it works. (It'd also be a very approachable stream of consciousness example for older kids vs those novel length ones that many people can't stand.) Recommended to animal lovers, and as mentioned, those looking for stream of consciousness stories.

[Amber Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stead postures his book to be a tour of animals near where he lives now as he walks with his dog down the dirt road. But at the same time, the story is one of interconnectedness and a picture of how we all relate to one another and live within the same space, figuring out life.
Although I think it will be over early readers heads, the illustrations are incredibly beautiful with notes of realism through prints and stamps of real items throughout. This book will lead to great discussions of many different people, with many different needs living in one space.
Stead does not disappoint with his profound ability to story tell.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philip C. Stead is a favorite, favorite author/illustrator and I have read and re-read his books. A recent favorite is "Ideas Are All Around." Now I have a new book to love, All The Animals Where I Live. In this, Stead again takes us on a journey. He's moved from the city back to a house in the country and we're introduced to all the animals around, including Wednesday, his dog, who goes along, too. There are coyotes and stuffed bears, cranes and hummingbirds. There are favorite and sweet remembrances of his Grandma Jane who knitted a chicken quilt just for him. I love reading the small memories that make Stead's life so sweet,

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are so charming that I don’t need much else. The worried expressions on the dogs’ faces, the spread with the cricket, the cranes... and the owl at the end. He knows some things. You can just tell.

This is one of those books, though, that will be too quiet for a lot of kids. The text is very nice, and full of lovely observations, but there isn’t much in the way of a narrative through-line. It’s kind of like OUR ANIMAL FRIENDS AT MAPLE HILL FARM with the humor turned down and the pathos turned up.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure if this was a story about remembering the author’s grandmother or about the animals that are in the area of Stead’s home. Having recently seen the scenery of northern MichiganI I am surprised Stead’s illustrations for this title are in very light tones. The illustration regarding the eagle dropping the turtle and the text don’t match. . . there is no grass and we don’t see the turtle on its back, or struggling to right itself. In my opinion Stead is a better author/illustrator than this title reflects.

[Kalynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are so many differences between the city and the country, and animals are among those differences. Not just the traditional country animals, like dogs, cows, horses, birds, etc. but the orchestra of animals, like the hooting owls, the buzz of the dragonflies, and the chirping crickets. This heartfelt story, with its calming and comforting illustrations, made me want to take a new look around my more country environment, and tap into that more in the classroom.

[Nikki Glassley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gets five stars because I love it, but I'm not sure that it works as a picture book for children. But I don't care because almost every picture book works for children and they have plenty, so this one can be for me. It rambles aimlessly, but it's somehow literary. It evokes a sense of place so strongly that I feel like I'm on the farm. It feels very much like the kind of story a well-spoken child might tell.

The illustrations, as per usual, are quiet and gorgeous.