The Little Blue Cottage

by Kelly Jordan, Jessica Courtney-Tickle (Illustrations)

The little blue cottage waits each year for summer to arrive—and with it, the girl. Through sunny days and stormy weather, the cottage and the girl keep each other company and wile away the long days and nights together. Until one year, and then another, the cottage is left waiting and empty season after season.

In this heartfelt story about change, Kelly Jordan’s lilting text and Jessica Courtney-Tickle's lush art captures the essence of cherishing a favorite place.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Summer, Family, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 5, 2020

About the author

Kelly Jordan writes lyrical children’s books inspired by nature, family, and relationships that she hopes will evoke emotion and wonder in her readers. Her debut picture book, THE LITTLE BLUE COTTAGE, illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle (Page Street Kids, May 2020) received a Kirkus star and SCBWI's Crystal Kite Award. It was followed by the rhyming nonfiction picture book, CHASE THE MOON, TINY TURTLE: A HATCHLING'S DARING RACE TO THE SEA, illustrated by Sally Walker (Page Street Kids, March 2021).
 
Raised on the Gulf Coast, Kelly now resides in Atlanta, with her husband and son. She is represented by Stephanie Fretwell-Hill of Red Fox
Literary.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, lyrical, touching. The writing style and the illustrations suit me beautifully. I can't say as there is anything particularly "new" here although I appreciate that it blends a certain old-fashioned, timeless appeal with diverse characters (including interracial couples and multi-generational family). I have a feeling this book will appeal more to adults than than to children for the nostalgia and tugging-at-heartstrings. If that cover art makes your heart melt even a little bit, don't hesitate to give it a try.

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but there has been a trend on house/home/comfort books. This started even before the pandemic. The Little Blue Cottage may be one of my favorites. The art is perfection. The story will tug at your heartstrings. Not in a syrupy way but in a beautiful, meaningful one. Did I get all teary eyed reading it? You bet I did. But the ending was much more happy and satisfying than many classic and new house books. I loved it!

[Gabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lyrical story of a blue cottage and the girl who visits the cottage every summer is moving and infinitely re-readable. Each year, the cottage awaits the girl's return. But when the family doesn't return one year, we feel the sadness of the unused boat and the unplayed games. But don't worry, the cottage has not been abandoned forever. The story takes us full circle -- to fresh paint and new memories. This book beautifully recalls one of my childhood favorites, the Virginia Lee Burton classic, THE LITTLE HOUSE. The illustrations beautifully evoke the seaside, with a range of soft blues and lovely details like striped sails and stylized waves. I can easily imagine THE LITTLE BLUE COTTAGE as a story kids (and adults) return to again and again.

[Henry Herz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Little Blue Cottage by Kelly Jordan is a lovely, quiet picture book describing the mutual bond that forms over the years between a girl and her family's summer cottage. Kelly does an excellent job conveying heart-warming emotion to the relationship between a person and an inanimate object. The soft, pastel-toned illustrations by Jessica Courtney-Tickle add to the book's emotional resonance and magical feeling. This one's a keeper.

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations and a timeless story. The only reason I hesitate to give four stars is because the text is an odd rhythm that may or may not be verse? If it's meant to be verse, then it's badly executed. If it's not meant to be verse, Jordan should have avoided the singsong rhythm and almost-couplet format that makes it feel like bad verse.

[Gina House · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated children's book! The colorful, cozy pages are mesmerizing. The oversize hardcover is perfect for reading aloud to a child. I wanted to frame every single page and hang them on my walls to admire.

It's probably only me, but I find text that only slightly rhymes to be very jarring. I'm not sure if it was intentional or accidental that the story lines are out of rhythm, but I found myself double checking that I read the text correctly. If that doesn't bother you, than you will love this book.

[Lisa Mcbroom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I shelved this under when I was a kid because this book reminded me of the happy memories as a child when our family went to the seashore and stayed in various cottages. I had three favorites. One was a little pink cottage at Cherry Grove Beach , the second a blue bungalow much like the little blue cottage in this book, and a Hawaaian style cottage that had a pier and when you stood on it you felt as if you were being swept out to sea. Basically a little girl grows up at this litle blue cottage by the sea. It's told from the cottage's point of view and I have always loved books told from an object point of view. Also this to me reminded me of Virginia Lee Burton's Little House Book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such lovely, lovely illustrations!

[Samantha Ania]

This was so lovely. *heart eyes*

[Gracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 500th Book!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The physical book itself is soft and smooth, the pages thick and higher quality. Soft, pleasant illustrations. Simple story but we enjoyed it.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly nostalgic and warm fuzzy. An adorable cottage enjoys summers when a young girl comes to visit, and eventually brings her own child to enjoy it as well. Very quaint illustrations. Not so much a plot as a portrait of an entire childhood.

[Amy Hesterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely precious! Thank you, Kelly Jordan, for reminding me how much I treasure the lake memories of my grandparents’ cottage from when I was young. This was such a treat to read. Beautiful book!!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story and illustrations will make you desperate to have a little blue cottage by the ocean.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our family goes to the same little beach each summer. In fact, I've been coming here with my family since I was a baby, my husband and I were married here, and our dog is named after it! Needless to say, it's an important place in my heart and a part of who I am. When I first saw The Little Blue Cottage by Kelly Jordan, illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle, I knew we were going to need to give this book a permanent spot in our home library...
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And it didn't disappoint! We've read The Little Blue Cottage over and over and over again since receiving it a few weeks ago; my girls just can't get enough! And, since the love of this little blue cottage by the beach rings true to my heart, I don't mind reading this one on repeat!
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The Little Blue Cottage is a beautifully illustrated story of a girl who spends her summer, every summer, in the same little blue cottage by the sea. Through the first half of the story, we watch the little girl grow up over her summers at the cottage, and we experience the love and happiness in her family while we watch them over time.
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Though the girl is the main character, the cottage is a valuable secondary character, experiencing feelings of loss and loneliness when all of the sudden, the girl doesn't show up for the summer any more. The cottage falls into disarray and readers wonder what has happened to the little girl and her family. Never to fear, though, everything wraps up nicely in the end! The main characters in the book comprise 2 multiracial families (the main character's childhood family and intergenerational married family).
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If you liked this, you might also like:
* The Little House by Burton
* Wherever You Go by Miller, illustrated by Wheeler
* Miss Rumphius by Cooney
* Roxaboxen by McLerran, illustrated by Cooney
* Fireflies by Brinckloe

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The little blue cottage on the bay waited patiently every year for the little girl to return. She came with the warmer weather, taking up her place in the window seat and looking out at the water. The cottage was her favorite place, filled with dolphins, seagulls, swimming and boats. When fall came, the little girl and her family left once again, leaving the cottage to face winter. Still, summer came each year and the girl arrived, growing ever bigger. Eventually though, she and the family stopped coming, leaving the blue cottage to fade to gray, empty and waiting for years. Then one day, the girl, now a mother, returned to her beloved cottage to repair it, repaint it a merry blue, and live in it once more.

Jordan’s text invites readers to really experience the seasonality of cottage life. She uses near rhymes and natural rhythms to share both the joy and loneliness of the cottage that mirrors the emotions of the humans in the story as well. The long seasons of neglect have a quiet dignity to them, while the triumphant return is a marvelous ending.

The illustrations are detailed and visually interesting. They show the cottage on its own little beach, the beauty of the busyness of the family and the light they bring with them. The growing weeds and fading paint are particularly well done. The family is multicultural, adding to the book’s appeal.

Just right for vacation reading, this one will have you dreaming of a cottage on the water. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Elizabeth Volkmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Little Blue Cottage is a book that I wish had been written years ago when my children were young and we set off each summer for our annual trip to Fire Island, NY. But am so happy it has available now! Jordan's lyrical prose brilliantly hits the right notes of sweet, lulling, joy and anticipation - and for a moment or two, even sorrow. Her deft way of imbuing the cottage with emotion - without being overly dramatic - is wonderfully skillful. A house that is revisited year after year becomes a character in our lives and memories - and Jordan allows that to happen so naturally; and the details of the inhabitants' lives that the house recalls is delightful and heartwarming. The tone of the story and the carefully chosen words offer the reader a sense of security and safety, a window into the cycle of life and the calming rhythm of the sea. The ending is beautifully satisfying and leaves the reader to dream on about what comes next for the little cottage and the 'new' family that inhabits its four walls. The illustrations by Courtney-Tickle add the right dose of sweetness, nostalgia and joy to the text- bringing the cottage and the sea into living color.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

A seaside cottage has a special relationship with the little girl who spends her summers living in it.

This story is reminiscent of The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton in many ways.

The main character catches fireflies at one point in story, which is an American summertime trope that should not be perpetuated or encouraged. Firefly populations are threatened and in decline, and one of the top reasons – in addition to habitat loss, light pollution, and chemicals – is collecting. Please, dear reader, do not catch fireflies even if you intend to release them afterwards because it can cause serious, albeit unintentional, harm and hasten the extinction of the firefly.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many in the world seem to have summer homes and this is a story by Kelly Jordan of time passing told from the cottage's point of view. All the lovely things that happen in summertime include the family, especially this one young girl, arriving. They swim and sail and sit in the evening watching the waves and sometimes the whales swim by. The girl also sits by her window telling the cottage, "You are my favorite place." Time moves by, summers and autumns, winters, then summer visits. But eventually, no one returns until that glad day when the girl, now a mother, returns with her child, to "The Little Blue Cottage", and life repeats again. The family is shown as a diverse family, and most illustrations by Jessica Courtney-Tickle fill with nature scenes in much of the summer, but also autumn, winter, and spring when the cottage waits.

[Jorgina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always feel sorry for homes that don't have families in them. It's like they don't get to fulfill the measure of their creation. They look sad. This story is so charming and makes the house come alive by being happy when the family comes to visit for the summer. Then tells how lonely it is in the winter. For many years it remains empty and worn down, neglected, abandoned. And then the family comes back at the end and brings it back to life. Beautiful illustrations make the weather, the sea, the family and nature move and live.
There is the unsaid death of the little girl's mother when she is grown but not in a tragic way; just a part of life.
A lovely portrayal of seasons and nature and inhuman life.

[Courtenay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another one that I feel misses the mark for today's kids. Perhaps there are families in the northeast who have second homes but as a Picture Book book club member pointed out, this felt a little like "wealth porn" in the guise of a picture book for today's generation. It spans two decades (at least) and where's the conflict? Where's the character arc? Where's the child solving his or her problems? And wouldn't the cottage need yard work, extermination, rust removal, air freshener and more? Full of waiting and wishing, from a cottage's perspective. This might strike nostalgia in adults who grew up hanging out while Dad worked but for too many of today's kids I don't think this will resonate. Not a big fan. I can't imagine a child would want to hear this over and over.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gentle circle story centers a LITTLE BLUE beach COTTAGE as the heart of family happiness and security in a delightful and diverse family. By providing the perspective of the cottage as the central character, the arrival, leave, return cycle energies early and emphasizes the rhythms of life. With a long-term absence.neglect and eventual return/restoration, there essential security of this place and relationship is reinforced.
There is so much strength and reassurance in this story, as well as stability and comfort.
Shades of THE LITTLE HOUSE by Virginia Lee Burton, which is saying a lot!

[FM Family · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had nice illustrations and I love a story about a cottage or vacation. But there were a few things about it that rubbed me the wrong way. As mentioned by many other reviewers, the rhythm in this story was odd, it was written as if in verse, but didn't rhyme and some of the lines didn't follow the rhythm.

I also found it strange that there was clearly an effort made to have the Girl be a child of colour, but then she grows up and just has white-looking children and I was left wondering what that was about. My 3.5 year old enjoyed this book and was happy when it was in the mix but wasn't over the moon about it.

[Connie T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little blue cottage sits by the bay and every summer a little girl and her family visit. In between visits, the house is lonely and the girl misses being at her special place. For a long time, no one visits and the house starts to fall into disrepair. Then the girl, now a mother, returns with her own family. They make repairs and the tradition continues.

The artwork is beautiful. The style lends itself perfectly to the subject matter.

My problem with this picture book is the rhythm of the text. Each two-page spread has just four lines of text which is written in a way that suggests it should rhyme. However, this isn't the case. Despite my best efforts, and a clunky rhythm, I found myself reading this in a sing song voice, which was very frustrating.

[James Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful told story of a girl and her childhood cottage. This story will remind anyone of fond memories of family, summer vacations. Especially if there is a special place involved. The soft, warm, inviting illustrations pair well with the words, which together sweep you away to a place of peace and harmony. This is an easy reading book, but you'll read it slowly as you feel a wave of decompression wash over you. A great book to have and keep in the family. A great book for older siblings to share with younger ones. Also, a wonderful reminder that love is blind.

[Maeve · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little blue cottage is visited every summer by a young girl and her family. But for many years, the girl never visits and the cottage falls into disrepair. Finally, the girl returns (now grown up with a family of her own) and fixes up the cottage so she can enjoy it again.

The writing seemed a little stilted (rhymed at some points and flowed well, but then there would be some lines that didn't at all). I also think that The Old Truck by Jarrett Pumphrey gets at the same idea, but executes it better.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book was so sweet! 🥺 It evokes so much emotion! The reader follows the story of a childhood vacation home through the years as the cottage see it's beloved tenants grow older. The illustrations are lush and remind me of a Barbara Cooney picture book with it's vivid scenes.

I don't know what draws me to picture books that tell the story of houses as they stand the test of time. I also loved Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House, and another book about a blue house, The Blue House by Phoebe Wahl.

[Evelyn Bookless · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story about a little girl, her family's summer cottage by the sea and the fun to be had there every summer. The stunning illustrations and beautiful lyrical text create a very special feel and a sense of magic that will captivate young and old readers alike. The story comes to a very satisfying ending as the girl returns once more (after many years away) and is lulled to sleep by the waves yet again. Highly recommended.

[Thomasin Propson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrations I find myself flipping back through again and again—the coziest and beautiful seaside cottage shown—all seasons and from different views of the property.

I wasn’t as much a fan of the story’s conflict—the anthropomorphic house and its love for then abandonment by the little girl (“Years came and went, along with the hope that the girl would appear...”) but the artwork makes up for it.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The little blue cottage waits each year for summer to arrive—and with it, the girl. Through sunny days and stormy weather, the cottage and the girl keep each other company and wile away the long days and nights together. Until one year, and then another, the cottage is left waiting and empty season after season.

In this heartfelt story about change, Kelly Jordan’s lilting text and Jessica Courtney-Tickle's lush art captures the essence of cherishing a favorite place.