The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson Pictures by Beth Krommes

This book was 36 pages long, and on one hand it felt that long and on the other it didn't, if that makes sense. The pictures were lovely, they are all done in black, white, and yellow hatching. One of my favorite things about them were the little details though. For example, on one page there is an illustration of the little girl's bedroom and there are toys on the floor, and a cat walking by outside her door. The story itself is based on a story from The Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book called This is the Key of the Kingdom. In the back of the book the author tells us that that story was one of her favorites, which is why she chose it's pattern for her book. An example of the pattern is, "Here is the key to the house. In the house burns a light. In that light rests a bed. On that bed waits a book." The way that the story flows and progresses is beautiful. Also the word choices were nice, the words didn't rhyme but they fit together well. This is due to the rhythm created by the fact that the story uses only one syllable words.

Despite the fact that I felt this was a touch long, I believe that this would be a wonderful book for beginning learners. The sentences are short and simple, and the pictures allow for plenty of discussion. Also there is a lot of repetition which is good for learning words. All in all, a very enjoyable read.