Welcome to the Wonder House

Illustrated by Deborah Freedman
Look inside
Hardcover
$18.99 US
9.44"W x 11.25"H x 0.31"D  
On sale Jul 11, 2023 | 40 Pages | 978-1-63592-762-7
| Grade 2 & Up
Reading Level: Lexile NP
This collection of poems, creatively presented in the format of an allegorical house, will engage anyone who has ever wondered “why?” as it shows young readers that wonder is everywhere—in yourself and in the world around you.

Welcome to the Wonder House, a place to explore the cornerstone of every great thinker—a sense of wonder. This Wonder House has many rooms—one for nature, one for quiet, and one for mystery, among others. Each room is filled with poems and objects covering a wide variety of STEAM topics, including geology, paleontology, physics, astronomy, creative writing, and drawing, that will inspire curiosity in young readers.

This enchanting book written by award-winning poets Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Georgia Heard both sparks wonder and shows readers how to kindle it in themselves.
Rebecca Kai Dotlich is the author of over a dozen poetry and picture books, including Grumbles from the Forest (co-authored with Jane Yolen) and Lemonade Sun. She's been a poetry advisor and contributing columnist for Creative Classroom and Teaching K-8, gives numerous poetry workshops, including Highlights Founders workshops, and speaks at national conferences, retreats, libraries, and schools to teachers, aspiring writers, and students of all ages. She lives near Indianapolis, Indiana. View titles by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Georgia Heard is the author of 20 books including her newest Welcome to the Wonder House (co-authored with Rebecca Kai Dotlich), a collection of two-voiced poems Boom! Bellow! Bleat!: Animal Poems for Two Or More Voices and Creatures of Earth and Sky, among others. Georgia is the NCTE 2023 Excellence in Poetry for Children Award Winner. She received her MFA in poetry from Columbia University and is a founding member of the Columbia University’s Teacher College Reading and Writing Project and the author of numerous professional books including Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School which was cited by Instructor Magazine as one of the “10 Books Every Teacher Should Read,” and Heart Maps: Helping Students Create and Craft Authentic Student Writing about which she was invited to give a TEDX talk: Mapping Your Heart: https://bit.ly/3MF6HEe. She is also the co-author of A Field Guide to the Heart: Poems of Love, Comfort & Hope written during the pandemic.
Georgia lives in Singer Island, Florida with her family. Visit her website at georgiaheard.com. Twitter and IG: @georgiaheard1 View titles by Georgia Heard
© Deborah Freedman
A 2023 School Library Journal Best Book
A 2024 CCBC Choice


★ "Crisp and concise, with internal rhymes and alliteration, these poems beg to be shared and read aloud. Freedman’s illustrations complement and add whimsical details, including a stargazing penguin and a scaly, red dragon glimpsed amidst a jumble of blocks...Thoughtful readers will relish the figurative language and imagery, and pore over the well-crafted illustrations. An excellent resource for teachers looking to inspire students in an array of topics, from science and nature studies to creative writing." —School Library Journal, starred review

★ "Set within 12 ethereal 'rooms,' 29 poems contemplate the wonders of Earth, sea, sky, and beyond...The poets infuse their verse with vibrant, child-accessible imagery....This slim volume teems with STEAM extensions, from exploring poetic forms and devices to investigating scientific facts and hypotheses. A beautifully conceived invitation: to look, see, wonder." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Twenty-nine poems in a lovely mix of forms and styles populate this book, presented as a 'house' with twelve double-page-spread 'rooms.'...Freedman’s intriguing mixed-media illustrations use wide washes of color in shades of blue, green, gold, or purple with subtle hints to the objects
referenced in the poems." —The Horn Book

WELCOME TO THE WONDER HOUSE Launch video

About

This collection of poems, creatively presented in the format of an allegorical house, will engage anyone who has ever wondered “why?” as it shows young readers that wonder is everywhere—in yourself and in the world around you.

Welcome to the Wonder House, a place to explore the cornerstone of every great thinker—a sense of wonder. This Wonder House has many rooms—one for nature, one for quiet, and one for mystery, among others. Each room is filled with poems and objects covering a wide variety of STEAM topics, including geology, paleontology, physics, astronomy, creative writing, and drawing, that will inspire curiosity in young readers.

This enchanting book written by award-winning poets Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Georgia Heard both sparks wonder and shows readers how to kindle it in themselves.

Author

Rebecca Kai Dotlich is the author of over a dozen poetry and picture books, including Grumbles from the Forest (co-authored with Jane Yolen) and Lemonade Sun. She's been a poetry advisor and contributing columnist for Creative Classroom and Teaching K-8, gives numerous poetry workshops, including Highlights Founders workshops, and speaks at national conferences, retreats, libraries, and schools to teachers, aspiring writers, and students of all ages. She lives near Indianapolis, Indiana. View titles by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Georgia Heard is the author of 20 books including her newest Welcome to the Wonder House (co-authored with Rebecca Kai Dotlich), a collection of two-voiced poems Boom! Bellow! Bleat!: Animal Poems for Two Or More Voices and Creatures of Earth and Sky, among others. Georgia is the NCTE 2023 Excellence in Poetry for Children Award Winner. She received her MFA in poetry from Columbia University and is a founding member of the Columbia University’s Teacher College Reading and Writing Project and the author of numerous professional books including Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School which was cited by Instructor Magazine as one of the “10 Books Every Teacher Should Read,” and Heart Maps: Helping Students Create and Craft Authentic Student Writing about which she was invited to give a TEDX talk: Mapping Your Heart: https://bit.ly/3MF6HEe. She is also the co-author of A Field Guide to the Heart: Poems of Love, Comfort & Hope written during the pandemic.
Georgia lives in Singer Island, Florida with her family. Visit her website at georgiaheard.com. Twitter and IG: @georgiaheard1 View titles by Georgia Heard
© Deborah Freedman

Praise

A 2023 School Library Journal Best Book
A 2024 CCBC Choice


★ "Crisp and concise, with internal rhymes and alliteration, these poems beg to be shared and read aloud. Freedman’s illustrations complement and add whimsical details, including a stargazing penguin and a scaly, red dragon glimpsed amidst a jumble of blocks...Thoughtful readers will relish the figurative language and imagery, and pore over the well-crafted illustrations. An excellent resource for teachers looking to inspire students in an array of topics, from science and nature studies to creative writing." —School Library Journal, starred review

★ "Set within 12 ethereal 'rooms,' 29 poems contemplate the wonders of Earth, sea, sky, and beyond...The poets infuse their verse with vibrant, child-accessible imagery....This slim volume teems with STEAM extensions, from exploring poetic forms and devices to investigating scientific facts and hypotheses. A beautifully conceived invitation: to look, see, wonder." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Twenty-nine poems in a lovely mix of forms and styles populate this book, presented as a 'house' with twelve double-page-spread 'rooms.'...Freedman’s intriguing mixed-media illustrations use wide washes of color in shades of blue, green, gold, or purple with subtle hints to the objects
referenced in the poems." —The Horn Book

Media

WELCOME TO THE WONDER HOUSE Launch video

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