Houses and Homes

by Ann Morris, Ken Heyman (Illustrator)

The world is full of houses. Big houses and little houses. Houses that stay in one place and houses that move from place to place. Some houses are made of wood or stone; others are made from mud or straw. But all of them are made for families to live in.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nonfiction, Cultural, Geography, Architecture, Photography

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1992

Reviews

[Grace]

An excellent book for early cultural discussions.
**No reference/details included for "nail it" picture on p. 23**

[June]

Tried a new homes - houses theme from a reference book. Went over okay, but not sure if I'll repeat next year.

[Hayley]

Book Title: Houses and Homes
Author: Ann Morris
Photos by: Ken Heyman
Reading Level: G
Book Level: K-3rd grade

Book Summary: This book talks about houses in the world in simple terms. It shows great pictures to show the readers what houses look like that they might not live in.

Mentor Bookshelf Writing traits:

Ideas- This book has a general message about showing readers what types of homes people may live in all around the world.

Conventions: This book lacks conventions but the author must have done this for a reason. The pictures are the main focus of the story and the words are there to help young readers follow along.

This would be a great book to use for a multicultural unit. Showing students what houses look like all around the world would be a good lesson to teach them that although we might all live in different places and spaces, but we are all still human.

[Ella Boyd]

Summary: Houses and Homes is a book that uses photographs to look at different types of homes. This book tries to use lots of different adjectives to describe houses.
Response: The photographs in this book are very dated, and I wish there could be an updated version. Other than that, I would use this book in a Kindergarten classroom. I like the use of so many adjectives and also the cultural awareness that we can see.
How to use it: This would be a great book to pair with a worksheet matching the correct adjective in each sentence. This would also be a good book to read for small group time.

[Danielle Keeler]

This is another book that is great for teaching and reinforcing diversity in the classroom, as well as learning about different cultures all over the world. This book will have students thinking beyond what they say everyday in their own world and more about the world around them. This is a great way to teach students about communities. Students will activate critical thinking skills to understand why people live in different kinds of houses all over the world.

[Kallie]

Nonfiction/Social Studies
Grades K-1
This book allows students to explore what homes and houses look like in other countries and other cultures. I think it is a great little beginner book, as the words are very simple and children will be able to sound out the words themselves.

[Julie]

This book was part of a housing unit I did with my son during the homeschooling of Coronavirus. It was a great book to springboard off of!

[Jonathan]

This beautiful picture book is part of a series by Ann Morris that shows how people from many cultures experience the same human needs (others include Loving; Hats, Hats, Hats; Bread, Bread, Bread, and On the Go). While it is a little outadated in terms of how people are dressed in some cultures, for many of the examples, it probably has remained unchanged.
The compelling feature of this book is the setting which changes with each photograph. Along with each picture is a generalization that could be applied to just about any culture, lifestyle or economic means. Sometimes it is a difference, sometimes it is a similarity.
Some highlights:
Page 8- the juxtaposition of The White House with the small house in Puerto Rico
The fact that people live on moving houses will be very strange for kids (p.9)
For urban kids- houses all alone in the country is interesting and unusual
“Fill it with love,” is more than a beautiful sentiment, it is a truism about any home.
Some questions to pose to children or think about:
1. Is a tent really a home? How does this change or confirm your definition?
2. See how many places you can guess where in the world these homes are located.
3. Why do some people cry when they move from one house to another? Why do they move?
This book would be very good whenever introducing a unit on other cultures or preparing to study one culture in particular.

[Kelsi]

Overall I thought that this was a very creative picture book. I think from the cover I was not expecting what ended up being in the story but I was surprised in a good way! I think that this is a great book for young students to read because the pictures tell so much with such few words. The pictures are all very clear and high quality and give a glimpse into what it is like to live in different houses around the world. I enjoyed this book because I think that often students do not have the opportunities to travel and so this book gives them the opportunity to see what it is like around the world in different situations. I also think that sharing some books with students that are simple are powerful because they are able to share a point or message in a less complicated way and children can understand it better. I would suggest this book for younger students in teaching a classroom unit on homes.

[Lamar Sanders]

Plot: Houses and Homes is a tribute to the diversity of houses and human ingenuity around the world. It compares and contrasts various living structures across the globe and provides lovely photographs of each. The book exposes the reader to the way other cultures live, while getting them to appreicate and give thought to their own homes.
Main Ideas:Geography, Diversity, Living structures, Culture
I would recommend this book for a social studies of goegraphy unit. The book does a good job of "touring' international ways of living and finding a human connection. I think this would be an awesome way to expose students to cultures outside of their own and start developing a sense of place on this planet.

[Dianne J.]

Age of readership: Ages 4-8

Genre: Picture Book with Text and Braille Pages

Diversity: Sighted and Unsighted children/Houses around the world

Illustrations: Color photos

My response to the book: Houses from around the world made of a variation of materials, houseboats, tents, and homes made by women. There are also a couple of grand homes: Buckingham Palace and The White House. This is the first book I have found that has both text and Braille pages.

Curricular/Programming connections: This book can be used in a Social Studies unit on habitats around the world in your average elementary school as well as in a school for the blind.

[Becky B]

A survey of houses from all over the world, the different styles they can take, places they can be, and materials they are made from.

The words in this are very simple, but it does a great job of exploring the diversity of structures that can be called home through the few words and fantastic photographs. The only thing that dates this a little are the clothing styles of some of the Western people, but overall, the variety of structures hasn't changed so this is still a great resource. The back of the book includes further information on each house pictured, where it is located, and the materials used in it's construction.

[James Vickery]

Simply put, this book is a book about many people's enviroments around the world. This book discusses the different living conditions, foods and clothing that other cultures have. This book can help students relate to other cultures and come up with differences as well as similarities of different cultures. Mainly this book can help students understand that their own culture is not the only one that should be considered.

[Carlee]

this book is a book about many people's enviroments around the world. This book discusses the different living conditions, foods and clothing that other cultures have. This book can help students relate to other cultures and come up with differences as well as similarities of different cultures. Mainly this book can help students understand that their own culture is not the only one that should be considered.

[Jessica Benson]

This book discusses the different living conditions, foods and clothing that other cultures have. This book can help students relate to other cultures and come up with differences as well as similarities of different cultures. Mainly this book can help students understand that their own culture is not the only one that should be considered.

[Tessa Herrmann]

I really loved this book partly because of the pictures were so cool to see different houses around the world. It was really interesting to see! The writing was simple and to the point so you could really emphasize looking at the cool pictures!I think kids would really like this because it gives them an idea of how other kids around the world live.

[Linda Costello]

The best part about this book is the wonderful photographs of different homes from around the world. There is not a lot of text in this book. There is an index indicating where the pictures were taken and a corresponding map.

[Spencer]

I liked how it included photos of homes from around the world. It gives an idea of all the diversity that there is but at the same time everyone has a home. The short dialog helped the reader focus on the photos. But at the same time the dialog had a good rhythm.

[Cassidy]

A great look at the different homes around the globe. The photos were stunning and the writing was simple and easy to understand. Kids would find it enjoyable and learn more about different cultures.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian]

Photographs of homes around the world! A wide range of sizes, styles, and building resources. The back of the book also shared the locations of the photographs used in the book.

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Claudia]

We have so much, what more can I say. This book helped (and will help) us to understand how fortunate we are to live in the kind of home we live in.

[Sandra]

A great look at homes around the world.A great discussion starter.

[Sarah]

This is a very simple story about all the different types of houses that people live in around the world. Suitable for very young children, though older ones might also enjoy the illustrations

[Emily Augustus --Louisville KY]

This is a great book to show students homes from around the world. It shows students that not everyone lives the same way they do.

[Amanda Schwind]

I loved the pictures and parallels this book makes. It would be a beautiful introduction to a compare and contrast paper.

[Claudia Popovic]

Another clever way to teach children about houses and homes around the world.

[Roger]

One of my favorite children's picture books is "Come Over to My House." This is like a real-life version with photos instead of drawings. Love it