Home is Where My Heart Is

Home is not just where the heart is, it’s behind all life’s experiences. It is where you find love, companionship, grow up, quarrel, fight, make up…and in the end it doesn’t even have to be a fixed place, ‘Home could be right where I stand’. Smriti Halls’ cumulative and repeated text surrounds the reader like the ‘home’ that is being evoked. The repeated use of the word drives the narrative on, ensuring the page is turned. The gentle rhymes and rhythms provide the beating heart, keeping time. However, it is the illustrations by Alice Courtley that bring movement to the words. A vibrant, immersive palette creates vivid landscapes, the backdrop to the journey being taken by the bear; swirling brush strokes conjure the sea, fireworks pop and sparkle, grey high-rise buildings loom in the city, soft greens bring a peaceful meadow. The cast in this play are animals rather than people – a useful way to get the message across. An attractive addition to the picture book boxes and a quiet moment in a busy classroom.