Reviews

The Snail House by Gillian Tyler, Allan Ahlberg

zusy's review

Go to review page

5.0

Grandma tells Michael and Hannah a story. The illustrations are lovely too.

lagobond's review

Go to review page

4.0

This quiet little book reminded me of my love for stories about miniature people. It's so much fun to imagine the adventures of a bug-sized person in a regular-size world!

My favorite thing about The Snail House are the conversations between Grandma and the children. I love the kids' grammatically incorrect language; the curious questions and the echoing of what Grandma says. It really feels like a conversation with little kids.

The illustrations are lovely too. Well-thought-out little details, like Grandma's colorful fly curtain and its miniature copy, which instantly turns the snail house into a cozy, familiar home. This book really conveys the nostalgic sweetness of spending a summer afternoon sitting outside the house with Grandma, listening to stories and imagining the great big world out there. As an added bonus, the story ends with a quiet evening scene, which makes this a great bedtime story.

witchofthemountains's review

Go to review page

4.0

I loved this book, though the boys I watch were less interested. A few kids are shrunk down and end up making a tiny perfect home inside a snail shell until they can get back to normal.

I'm always a sucker for impromptu homes, but the prose was longer and a bit more dense than the boys (aged 3 and 5) are used to. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and I think children should be exposed to longer books at an earlier age, but it is something to keep in mind for a story time program or similar activities.

toad_maiden's review

Go to review page

3.0

A delightful tiny-people story with an unexpectedly haunting quality.

melaniegaum's review

Go to review page

2.0

Cute, detailed drawings, but a rather uneventful story.
More...