HOME by Carson Ellis

     When I was a kid, I had a book about 16 bears - where they lived in the winter and where they lived in the summer. I remember their cave homes being so elaborate. The pink bear was surrounded by princess sheers and crowns. The sports bear was surrounded by equipment. The cozy bear was surrounded by things I knew I'd love - blankets, a tea pot, etc. They were like peeking into genie bottles, into magical little worlds.      A few years ago, my mother was cleaning out her basement and told me to come fetch the books. I dug through them looking for this book of bears. I went by it about a dozen times.      Finally, I found it! And it was no wonder I had missed it. All those elaborate little cave homes? ... There was nothing there. There was no pink lace, no balls, no blankets. Instead, one cave was pink. One cave was blue. And one cave was orange.      My childhood imagination had filled in all the luscious details I remembered into adulthood.      It's why I am so excited about Carson Ellis' HOME. It so reminds me of that bear book. What will children see when they dig through it for the first time? How elaborate will the homes be? A shoe becomes a cozy castle. A nest becomes a soft papasan chair. I envy the children who will devour this book with open imaginations.
     Heck, I don't think it's too late for me either. I'd love to live in that hollow tree home... Check out this great video of Carson's process. Click the image to view on Youtube:

HOME. Copyright 2015 © by Carson Ellis. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.