A House in the Woods

Wow, what a charming and beautifully illustrated book! Loved the creativity and teamwork among the animals, as well as the happy ending. A fun, feel-good book!

Two pigs have their little woodland dens destroyed when a moose and a bear borrow them. The four animals decide to design a big new house together. It's built by a team of beavers, who get paid in sandwiches.

It's not that the story is all that extraordinary, but the illustrations most certainly are. They're beautiful and full of humor and character. Would I love to live in that house as well ...

Pretty lame, unfortunately. I love the early illustrations, especially the spread w/ the text: One morning the two Little Pigs went out walking together. One Little Pig found a feather, and the other found an interesting stick." From that I feel as if I've been promised a quiet story, one about the

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inner lives of the characters. But no.

Before we know it, we have these little pink pigs walking around like people, making friends with Moose, Bear, and a whole clan of Beavers in hard hats. Together they hustle and bustle and build a house suitable for people, then equip it from a people shaped junkyard and general store. But the pictures aren't playful - they're still subtle, muted, atmospheric. Gee, might as well put Donald Duck's shirt and Mickey Mouse's shorts on them and be done with it.

The concept of friends building a house together is lovely, though, so I can't bring my rating any lower...."

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