Illustrations Copyright © 2010
by Christopher Denise
After Bella says goodbye to her old house, it’s time to meet her new one. But this house isn’t anything like Bella expected. The entrance way has ten steps instead of three, the bathtub has feet, and most of all, it does not feel like home. But Bella knows how to be brave, and with her imaginary friend Stella by her side, it doesn’t take long for her feelings about her new house to change—especially when she spies a next door neighbor who looks like he’d make a perfect friend.
Anika and Christopher Denise have teamed up again to create a lively and charming tale about moving, bravery, friendship, and most of all, feeling at home.
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Reviews
From Publisher's Weekly:
"…In this clever and reassuring offering from the husband-and-wife creators of Pigs Love Potatoes, Bella finds solace in her stuffed elephant, Stella--and in her expansive imagination--on moving day. "Stella says she will miss our house. I hug her and say, ‘It will be okay,' " says Bella. Vibrant digital and pencil art soon reveals a transformation as Stella springs to life as an enormous yellow elephant. Faces share skepticism and apprehension as Bella transfers her emotions to Stella. The new kitchen is yellow ("Stella thinks kitchens should be blue. I do too"), and the two continue to concur that old beats new: the garden should have an oak tree, and their bedroom should have polka-dot curtains and stars on the ceiling. The arrival of Bella's possessions helps ease the transition, as does meeting a neighbor who also has an oversize animal companion. The fact that Bella comes to terms with the move on her own (her parents are always offstage) adds to the appeal of this story, whose subtle narrative is neatly balanced by larger-than-life graphics."
From Kirkus Reviews:
"…When Bella moves to a new home, she finds it greatly comforting to have her best friend Stella always at her side. Everything is so different. There are ten steps to the front door instead of three, the kitchen is yellow instead of blue and the bathtub has feet. Bella and Stella take turns encouraging and reassuring each other as they explore their new home. Even when her room is set up with her familiar things, it takes all the lights on, a new morning and a new neighbor with his own best friend to make her feel as if she’s home. Anika Denise conveys tender understanding as Bella speaks directly to the reader, expressing her apprehension and confusion in appropriately childlike terms. Christopher Denise’s glowing, softly colored pencil-and-digital illustrations add further dimension as readers see that Stella is Bella’s beloved yellow stuffed elephant, who morphs into an imaginary life-sized companion and supporter. Text and illustrations are interdependent and seamless, a splendid marriage of words and pictures. Cozy and comfortable."
From School Library Journal:
"…Bella, an endearing girl with a big imagination and lots of personality, is nervous about moving to a new home. Fortunately, her trusted stuffed elephant, Stella, who looms large and lifelike in the child’s mind, remains at her side through the upcoming uncertainties. Everything at the new house is different. The kitchen is painted yellow and the bathtub has feet. Her mother says that the house has character, but Bella is not impressed with the empty, dusty rooms. The doubtful Bella and Stella venture upstairs to find their bedroom, which is empty except for one box in the middle of the floor. Once all of her belongings are moved in, Bella begins to relax, but at night her fears return and she has to sleep with the lights on. In the morning, the neighbors pop in for a visit and Bella makes a new friend, a bespectacled boy with a stuffed giraffe. At last, the new house begins to feel like home. The sweet narrative, told from Bella’s point of view, perfectly captures the little girl’s psyche. The story is enhanced by luminous, almost photographic illustrations drawn in shades of pink, ivory, and gold. With her expressive features and mop of dark curls, Bella stands out on each page. This delightful story would pair well with Scott Beck’s Little House, Little Town (Abrams, 2004)."
"Pigs Love Potatoes" – A “Parent’s Choice” Selection
One pig wants potatoes . . . then so does his brother . . . his sister makes it three pigs, and Papa makes four. Then there are the neighbors! Now all the piggies want potatoes, and soon it’s one big potato party!
Anika and Christopher Denise have teamed up to create this most charming, classic counting book, full of picture-perfect pigs and pleasing rhyme. Children will love Pigs Love Potatoes as much as, well, pigs love potatoes. And as you’ll see, that’s quite a bit!
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Reviews
From Booklist:
"…Children who are learning to count will enjoy trying out their skills, but this amiable picture book offers more than just counting—a childlike story told in short, rhyming phrases and a most appealing family of pigs. With rich, warm colors, the charcoal-and-acrylic artwork offers a nice variety of details in scenes that portray family dynamics with wit and charm. From the piglet who adorns his father's head with potato-peel curls to the older siblings who arrive decked out for fishing, painting, and soccer, there's plenty for children to enjoy in the illustrations while they listen to the rhythmic text roll along. A natural for reading aloud." – Phelan, Carolyn
From Parent’s Choice Foundation:
"…Sunny yellow endpapers dotted with spuds, piggy #1 with his tummy sticking out below a too-small tee shirt, piggy #2 wearing wire-rimmed glasses and reading a book, and piggy #3 in a tutu: what’s not to like about this bouncy rhyming/counting book? The acrylic paintings are as luminous and light-infused as watercolors. All in all, a storyhour candidate that’s as satisfying as a boiled potato before bed."