The Ramble Shamble Children

Starred review from January 11, 2021
“Down the mountain, across the creek, past the last curve in the road,” five children with varying skin tones live together in a “ramble shamble” house where there’s always plenty of work to do. Reading a book they find in the attic, they discover a picture that gives them pause: “Oh, that’s what a proper house looks like,” says Merra, the oldest, musing at its white porch and neat yard. Together, they decide to “proper up” their home. Finn builds a pink Victorian chicken coop. Locky and Roozle, who care for the vegetable garden, erect a scarecrow and plant roses. Merra gets rid of the puddle where the baby, Jory, previously “looked after the mud.” But the improvements bring their own trouble, culminating in the discovery that Jory is missing (though it doesn’t take long to find him). Sweet-tempered writing by Soontornvat (All Thirteen) and affectionate spreads by Caldecott Honoree Castillo (Our Friend Hedgehog) make it clear that the ramble shamble house, with no parents in sight, is perfect the way it is. Looking after the garden and the chickens is hard work, but the children are free to make their own decisions, and to change their minds, too. The underlying Pippi Longstocking–style setting—children living and thriving together—could easily sustain further episodes. Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. Author’s agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary.

January 15, 2021
Five children live a shabby but idyllic life on their own, caring for their home, their garden, and one another. Merra, Locky, Roozle, Finn, and Jory, children of varying sizes and skin tones, all charmingly illustrated in Castillo's signature style, live by themselves in a colorful "ramble shamble house." Each has their own responsibilities: Merra, the oldest, who presents Black, tends the garden and tells bedtime stories. Others take care of chickens, shoo blackbirds, and pull carrots. Jory, the baby, sits on the ground in his onesie pajamas and, adorably, "look[s] after the mud." (His pale face is smudged with it.) One day, however, they discover a picture of a "proper" house in a book. It doesn't look like theirs at all. So they set out to "proper up" their home, replacing the carrot patch with roses, creating a fancy henhouse, fashioning a chandelier out of stinkbugs, and raking over the mud puddles. The result is a home that certainly looks more proper, but nothing works smoothly. And worst of all, what's happened to Jory? Soontornvat's complete lack of exposition, with no explanation of how five diverse children came to live this way, lends the story a classic, old-time-y feel that allows readers to focus on more important things: what it means to contribute to the well-being of others, what makes a family, and what love looks like. Hint: It doesn't look like diamond chandeliers. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 64.5% of actual size.) Readers will surely want to join this sweet family. (Picture book. 3-7)

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January 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 1 In a fairy-tale-like setting amid remote mountains and trees, five children who live in a rundown house learn to appreciate what they have. The story focuses on the daily lives of the children, who are engrossed in the hard work of sustaining a home and garden. There's also an infant, Jory, who loves playing in the mud. One day, they come across a book with pictures of a fancier home and suddenly feel pressure to keep up. They spruce up the place, adding rosebushes, building a fancy henhouse, and raking over patches of mud. But they soon discover the emptiness of the upgrades. Far from improving the place, they've driven out the very soul of it: Jory is gone, in search of new, muddy pastures. After recovering the baby, the children wisely return to their more carefree ways. The spectacle of young children living independently from adults will fire up young readers' imaginations, and the illustrations, with bold colors and sunshine-filled landscapes, will only fuel that fire.

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Starred review from May 1, 2021

K-Gr 2-No need to "proper up" anything about this winning title. Soontornvat and Castillo have produced a charming tale of "ramble shamble" delightfulness. Five children of various skin tones live in a wonderfully worn-down home that suits them just perfectly "down the mountain, across the creek, past the last curve in the road." They each have their roles to play in making their family work, including the youngest, Jory, who is brilliantly in charge of the mud. When they get the notion from a book that their house isn't "proper" enough, the kids go on a renovation and cleaning spree. What they discover in the end is that their home suited them just perfectly before and that a little bit of mud is more than OK! Castillo's illustrations, done with ink drawings digitally combined with Gelli monoprints, radiate light, warmth, and coziness. The story elements are perfectly balanced and the sense of community and family makes this a very satisfying book to share. VERDICT Children love the idea of living on their own independent of adults and this book celebrates that desire with a masterful blend of illustration and story.-John Scott, Friends Sch. of Baltimore

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