In Every House on Every Street

This is a gorgeous and heart-warming book about a street – as simple as that. The illustrations and language make it just right to be read as a bedtime story or a story to share. It demonstrates how little, everyday things are really quite special and in fact should be treasured. It’s not about adventures or exciting places, it’s about people being important.

The idea is a rather lovely one. The narrator (a little girl) takes us through her house which, from the street, looks like any other house. But inside they are not just rooms, there is a recurring theme with the words ‘but we never just…’. For example, ‘…we never just play… we clear up the mess at end of the day. We learn to say sorry and wipe tears away.’

Each double page has a sketchy yet bright bold illustration to share what happens in each room. The descriptions take us through the whole house and lead up to a grand finale of pages opening out into a peek inside rooms inside the whole street. The houses are in a beautiful French style with fancy shapes and details that catch the eye. There are big bold pictures and then much smaller details which add to the overall journey of the book – from the outside of the street to the detail inside the room. All in all it’s a charming read and helps us appreciate the simple things in life.