Julia's House for Lost Creatures

July 7, 2014
Julia, a resourceful, apron-clad redhead, lives in a dilapidated Victorian house that gives new meaning to the words “mobile home”: it rests atop a
giant tortoise. Once the house settles by the sea, Julia isn’t content to sit alone with her amassment of antiques; instead, she opens a “House for Lost Creatures.” Beasts quickly arrive, including a patchwork kitty, a melancholy mermaid, and a variety of Sendakian monsters. In his first picture book, Hatke (the Zita the Spacegirl series) crafts a funny, fantastical scenario with a girl hero in charge. A mix of panel sequences, spot illustrations, and full-bleed spreads push the action forward. When chaos erupts—elves (who consist solely of long beards, beaky noses, and pointy hats) invade the kitchen; the mermaid basks in the tub, demanding towels and soap; and a dance party commences after a troll discovers the record player—Julia assigns each misfit a household chore. Readers will approve of Julia’s democratic solution, especially since it allows the menagerie to stay together—and in a cozy, snoozing heap no less. Ages 4–up. Agent: Judith Hansen, Hansen Literary Agency.

August 1, 2014
When a little girl opens her house to "lost creatures," chaos reigns until she sets rules for harmonious coexistence. Julia and her house arrive by tortoiseback to the seashore, where she decides it's too quiet and makes a sign advertising "Julia's House for Lost Creatures." She's quickly inundated with "lost and homeless creatures" asking for towels and soap, tea and toast. The creatures soon take over, spilling things, neglecting to clean up and playing loud music. Distraught, Julia orders everyone to "STOP!" and makes another sign dividing chores among her new housemates. With order restored, all is well until the house makes disturbing noises, prompting resourceful Julia to create a final sign recruiting a handyman. Judicious placement of the spare text and enlarged, attention-getting onomatopoetic words like "whoosh," "scritch scratch," "boom" and "creak" add drama, while fanciful pen, ink and watercolor illustrations create a whimsical world of cartoonlike creatures. Julia's all practicality in her kerchief, apron and pink high-top sneakers, while her ramshackle house atop the giant tortoise is the picture of cozy comfort until the invading troll, dragon, mermaid and companions trigger a rumpus reminiscent of Sendak's Wild Things. Hatke steps from graphic novels (Zita the Spacegirl) to the picture-book format with aplomb, blending tropes from both worlds for a sweetly weird domestic adventure. Readers will want to move right in. (Picture book. 4-7)

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September 1, 2014

K-Gr 2-From the author of Zita the Spacegirl (Roaring Brook, 2011) comes an enjoyable blend of picture book, graphic novel, and fairy tale prose. One day, Julia's house comes to town and settles by the sea. But despite having books, a fire, and toast and tea, Julia finds her house simply too quiet. To remedy the boredom, she makes a sign and invites lost creatures to come and stay. This initially proves to be a good idea as Julia welcomes her new friends and revels in the company. That is, until it gets a little too crowded and a little too messy. Shutting herself in her workshop, she finds a solution to suit herself and the creatures, and she makes another very important sign-a house-chore chart. Soft illustrations complement Julia's spirit and the mischief of the creatures as the story plays out in both panels and spreads. The gentle flow of the story will draw in readers, and Julia's problem-solving will have them giggling as they nod along at her choices. A wonderful addition.-Ashley Prior, Lincoln Public Library, RI

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2014
Preschool-G Julia's house, which sits on the back of a giant tortoise, comes to rest on the rocky shore of town. Julia, with wild red hair and pink high-top sneakers, seems perfectly happy to settle down, but before long, she starts to feel a little lonely. After quickly making a signJulia's House for Lost Creaturesshe waits for new friends to arrive. And, boy howdy, do they. First it's a docile, if slightly strange, cat. Then it's a muddy troll trailing puddles behind him as he squeezes through the door. And then it's a whole host of fantastic creatures who all need looking after. Clever Julia, however, quickly makes a new signa chore chartand soon everything is running smoothly. Hatke fills the comic-book-style, picture-book-sized pages with lovely watercolor illustrations of a menagerie of creatures. The sheer variety of Julia's houseguests is impressive, but Hatke's ability to imbue each one, some of whom don't have visible faces, with expressive feeling takes the cake. Imaginative tots will love Julia's resourcefulness and hospitality.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)