Moving House

K-Gr 1—"The fog in Foggytown was so thick that people bumped into parking meters. And streetlamps. And each other." Siegel uses richly textured charcoals to evoke a town overshadowed by the tall smokestacks of a factory. But the overpowering pollution isn't the focus of the plot; instead, it's the fact that Joey and Chloe have never seen the stars, and that their parents are so fed up with the fog that they decide—against their youngsters' objections—to move. The artwork becomes more colorful and kinetic as the artist portrays the children's special rooms, spaces, and memories, as well as the house itself, which tilts, wiggles, jiggles, and trots up the hillside, until it "popped out of the fog." Finally, the youngsters have their first views of the deep blue, gold-flecked night sky. While the text at this point gets muddled with conversations among the town's buildings and lampposts, what's happening—accompanied by delightful illustrations—is that all the structures are migrating uphill. In the morning, Joey, Chloe, and their parents peek outside and find themselves above the clouds where they can see for miles. It's disappointing that the town's pollution, which jump-starts the action, is only important here insofar as it affects the view. The issue of having to leave behind a familiar home is likewise avoided in favor of a more whimsical plot. The pictures are varied and evocative, and the affectionate relationship between the children and their house forms the tender core of this wobbly story.—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY