Little House

Juno feels abandoned. Her mother has left to join her father on the front line of aid work. Juno has never been left alone like this; gone are her summer plans. She must stay with her grandfather where she feels strange and out of place. Exploring the house she finds the attic – and a little house, a doll’s house together with a family of dolls. They too have been abandoned and need care. Can Juno do something for them?

A novel by Katya Balen will always draw the reader in, bringing empathy and understanding. Here, in this slim novel from Barrington Stoke she does just that. This is not a story about magic, wild adventures or set in a school world. This draws on the everyday – the background to a holiday which looks as if it is not going to be much of a holiday. The doll’s house is just a battered old dolls house, the dolls just dolls. But they need repair and attention. She skilfully creates in Juno a very real girl who, reluctantly, discovers an outlet that results in real interest and finally an appreciation of the work of her parents – and the decisions they make. It is a quiet narrative that nevertheless captures the reader’s attention. The soft black and white pencil illustrations by Richard Johnson are as immersive, pinning down moments and expressions to add depth and emotion to the text. This is a book for thoughtful readers and is to be recommended.