"Momma and Poppa told her stories about
a time when there had been giants.
They said that outside their house was
another larger house.
Gemma tried to imagine it, but it made
no sense.
There was nothing outside her window."
Gemma and her family live in a 'very nice little house and had a very nice little life'. Her days are filled with sameness - same room, same toys, same clothes. It has always been this way. When she asks her parents about her future, they tell her that she will always be their little girl.
They share stories from the outside when there were giants. Gemma sees nothing outside the windows. Until one day, the house moves, scattering Gemma and its contents in all directions. What is outside? Can it be a giant? Gemma would like to know. Quick as anything, Gemma is confronted by a giant girl. Readers will quickly note that Gemma's house is a dollhouse, safeguarded in an attic.
From then on, life in Gemma's house changes considerably. Something new is added every day. Some things are welcome, others not so much. New clothes hold tremendous appeal. A big book appears that allows for new learning about the world outside their sheltered life. Just when Gemma thinks she has seen it all, something even more startling happens.
Gemma is removed from her house to the giant girl's bedroom, and shown some of the real natural wonders of the world beyond the home she has known for her entire life. Although enticing and quite revelatory, to her surprise all she really wants is to go home. Gemma learns that the world can be a place of many wonders, but nothing beats home.
Magical and full of childhood wonder, this book will have readers thinking about possibilities and change. Marie LaFrance's artwork is memorable and meaningful as Ms. O'Leary captures the magic of childhood in her choice words.
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