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Home
From Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long, the powerhouse duo behind the #1 New York Times bestseller Love, comes a moving meditation on the places we feel most comfortable, loved, and protected—wherever that might be.
Home is a tired lullaby
and a late-night traffic that mumbles in
through a crack in your curtains.
Home is the faint trumpet of a distant barge
as your grandfather casts his line
from the edge of his houseboat.
With lyrical text and expressive artwork, Matt de la Peña and Loren Long celebrate the beauty and love found in every home, no matter its size. They show how a home is more than just a place . . . People can be a kind of home—a family and a community that cares for one another. And the natural world is another kind of home, a refuge we share with every living thing on Earth.
This deeply moving ode to the universal pull of home, whatever its form, is destined to become a new classic that will be cherished by readers of every age.
Home is a tired lullaby
and a late-night traffic that mumbles in
through a crack in your curtains.
Home is the faint trumpet of a distant barge
as your grandfather casts his line
from the edge of his houseboat.
With lyrical text and expressive artwork, Matt de la Peña and Loren Long celebrate the beauty and love found in every home, no matter its size. They show how a home is more than just a place . . . People can be a kind of home—a family and a community that cares for one another. And the natural world is another kind of home, a refuge we share with every living thing on Earth.
This deeply moving ode to the universal pull of home, whatever its form, is destined to become a new classic that will be cherished by readers of every age.
48 pages, Hardcover
Published March 11, 2025
4 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Matt de la Peña
39Ìýbooks1,489ÌýfollowersMatt de la Peña is the New York Times best-selling, Newbery-medal-winning author of six young adult novels and four picture books. Matt received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific, where he attended school on a full athletic scholarship for basketball. de la Peña currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. He teaches creative writing and visits high schools and colleges throughout the country.
Visit Matt at: mattdelapena.com
Visit Matt at: mattdelapena.com
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 16, 2025
Thank you to Libro FM and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ALC of this book!
This audiobook was wonderful, and with all the other reviews on illustrations, I can’t imagine having both versions and how immersive it would feel. Usually with other sounds in audiobooks, I get overwhelmed, but this was just the right amount of background noise to make you feel like you are in each scene as it is described. This book did a great job of expanding on the definition of home and demands inclusivity for those that have encountered any obstacles that come in the way of a traditional home. I would have no hesitation adding this one to my library!
This audiobook was wonderful, and with all the other reviews on illustrations, I can’t imagine having both versions and how immersive it would feel. Usually with other sounds in audiobooks, I get overwhelmed, but this was just the right amount of background noise to make you feel like you are in each scene as it is described. This book did a great job of expanding on the definition of home and demands inclusivity for those that have encountered any obstacles that come in the way of a traditional home. I would have no hesitation adding this one to my library!
April 5, 2025
With a quiet contemplative text and warm expressive illustrations, this picture book describes comforting places where a child calls home: sleeping in loving arms, on a houseboat with grandfather, playing with toys on a wooden floor, and more. But later there are jarring images of homes that have been destroyed by flooding. The illustrations are heartbreaking, like the one of a young child in a canoe reaching out to a dog who is swimming away from a house that is now underwater. "But slowly, very slowly, you will find a harbor in love." Fortunately, this devastation is followed by everyday life resumed with loved ones together. A thoughtful picture book that will leave readers with much to ponder and discuss.
"Home is not a house you leave behind but the people who walk beside you."
"Home is not a house you leave behind but the people who walk beside you."
October 1, 2024
Thanks to Edelweiss for the digital review copy.
Wow! I was excited to see a new Matt de la Peña book, but to also see it's illustrated by Loren long - very excited about this one and it doesn't disappoint. So much detail in the illustrations and beautiful words to go with them. I think this is something that could really impact kids and make them look at their homes differently, especially with so many people losing them in natural disasters of late. Very impactful.
LOVE the connection to nature and place and simply being. Gzorgeous!
Will be adding to our collection!
Wow! I was excited to see a new Matt de la Peña book, but to also see it's illustrated by Loren long - very excited about this one and it doesn't disappoint. So much detail in the illustrations and beautiful words to go with them. I think this is something that could really impact kids and make them look at their homes differently, especially with so many people losing them in natural disasters of late. Very impactful.
LOVE the connection to nature and place and simply being. Gzorgeous!
Will be adding to our collection!
March 15, 2025
More Librarian's Perspective Reviews at .
This gorgeous picture book is the latest from a powerhouse author-illustrator duo.
Author Matt de la Peña won the 2016 Newbery Award for The Last Stop on Market Street (2015). Illustrator Christian Robinson also won the Caldecott Award for this book in the same year.
The illustrator, Loren Long, created the illustrations for The Yellow Bus (2024), which I predicted would win the 2025 Caldecott. It did not win, but I think this book will yet again be a Caldecott contender for 2026. Other notable titles illustrated by Loren Long include: Love (with author Matt de la Peña), Change Sings (with author Amanda Gorman), and Someone Builds the Dream (with author Lisa Wheeler).
The rich vocabulary is full of sensory details to savor. Some examples:
~“the gnarled branches of an old oak tree�
~“the calloused hand of a quiet father�
~“the hawk steadily circling overhead, measuring the sky with its wings�
Home is a great choice if you are teaching second person narration, which is used throughout the story. Various diverse children and families are featured in the illustrations, but the story addresses “you� as the main character.
This is not always a happy story. Characters are devastated by homes lost in a flood or what appears to be eviction. But the crux of the story is that though disasters may occur, home is not necessarily a place. Home is where your family is. I love that this also includes dogs!
This might be a great picture book to share with families that have suffered the tragic loss of their home to disasters such as fire or floods or moving away. Some of the illustrations are sad, but readers are reassured after the loss of the homes because home is where your family is.
Throughout the story, families triumph together, and noticing the small details of everyday life helps us get through hard times.
NOTABLE ILLUSTRATIONS AND DISCUSSION TOPICS
~very close airplane outside a window � The text describes the “rumble through the floorboads� as the plane goes by
~busy family with a construction scene outside � Notice the strong muscles on the female construction worker! Also, the father is feeding the baby (who appears to be refusing the food), mom is rushing off to work, and older sibling is alone on the porch
~devastated faces of the parents in the truck � They are moving away from their house. This might be a good discussion page for students. Why are they moving? Why are they so sad? Why are they holding hands? Why are their belongings on the curb (and being left behind)?
What are some of the activities that help the families feel less sad? (cooking, tossing a baseball, reading, walking together and holding hands, attending church, climbing a tree, enjoying nature)
~2-page spread of child’s face up-close � Notice the earth reflected in the child’s eyes!
DIVERSITY
Home features many different and diverse characters. Families include mothers, fathers, grandparents, and children. Skin tones vary. One adult female wears hijab, and a young male character is wearing a yarmulke. Queer families are not explicitly represented, but some pages feature numerous characters that may or may not be queer.
LIBRARIANS WILL WANT TO KNOW
Would adults like this book? YES; the language is gorgeous, and the illustrations include lots of details to pore over.
Would I buy this for my high school library? YES, IF� I were looking for examples of imagery in picture books for ELA classes.
Would I buy this for my middle school library? YES, IF� I were looking for examples of imagery in picture books for ELA classes.
Would I buy this for my elementary library? ABSOLUTELY YES! I think this could be a Caldecott contender for next year, but even if it isn’t, the illustrations and message of hope during natural disasters are excellent.
~Mature Content
~Profanity: none
~Sexuality: none
~Violence: none
~Drugs/Alcohol: one character silhouette on a city street MIGHT have a cigarette in his mouth. It could easily be a straw or toothpick as it is a silhouette.
~Other: Some illustrations are sad. Parents moving away from their home have devastation on their faces. A family is in a boat escaping a flash flood. A dog is in flood waters and swimming toward a boat. But the message is of hope in the face of disaster.
This gorgeous picture book is the latest from a powerhouse author-illustrator duo.
Author Matt de la Peña won the 2016 Newbery Award for The Last Stop on Market Street (2015). Illustrator Christian Robinson also won the Caldecott Award for this book in the same year.
The illustrator, Loren Long, created the illustrations for The Yellow Bus (2024), which I predicted would win the 2025 Caldecott. It did not win, but I think this book will yet again be a Caldecott contender for 2026. Other notable titles illustrated by Loren Long include: Love (with author Matt de la Peña), Change Sings (with author Amanda Gorman), and Someone Builds the Dream (with author Lisa Wheeler).
The rich vocabulary is full of sensory details to savor. Some examples:
~“the gnarled branches of an old oak tree�
~“the calloused hand of a quiet father�
~“the hawk steadily circling overhead, measuring the sky with its wings�
Home is a great choice if you are teaching second person narration, which is used throughout the story. Various diverse children and families are featured in the illustrations, but the story addresses “you� as the main character.
This is not always a happy story. Characters are devastated by homes lost in a flood or what appears to be eviction. But the crux of the story is that though disasters may occur, home is not necessarily a place. Home is where your family is. I love that this also includes dogs!
This might be a great picture book to share with families that have suffered the tragic loss of their home to disasters such as fire or floods or moving away. Some of the illustrations are sad, but readers are reassured after the loss of the homes because home is where your family is.
Throughout the story, families triumph together, and noticing the small details of everyday life helps us get through hard times.
NOTABLE ILLUSTRATIONS AND DISCUSSION TOPICS
~very close airplane outside a window � The text describes the “rumble through the floorboads� as the plane goes by
~busy family with a construction scene outside � Notice the strong muscles on the female construction worker! Also, the father is feeding the baby (who appears to be refusing the food), mom is rushing off to work, and older sibling is alone on the porch
~devastated faces of the parents in the truck � They are moving away from their house. This might be a good discussion page for students. Why are they moving? Why are they so sad? Why are they holding hands? Why are their belongings on the curb (and being left behind)?
What are some of the activities that help the families feel less sad? (cooking, tossing a baseball, reading, walking together and holding hands, attending church, climbing a tree, enjoying nature)
~2-page spread of child’s face up-close � Notice the earth reflected in the child’s eyes!
DIVERSITY
Home features many different and diverse characters. Families include mothers, fathers, grandparents, and children. Skin tones vary. One adult female wears hijab, and a young male character is wearing a yarmulke. Queer families are not explicitly represented, but some pages feature numerous characters that may or may not be queer.
LIBRARIANS WILL WANT TO KNOW
Would adults like this book? YES; the language is gorgeous, and the illustrations include lots of details to pore over.
Would I buy this for my high school library? YES, IF� I were looking for examples of imagery in picture books for ELA classes.
Would I buy this for my middle school library? YES, IF� I were looking for examples of imagery in picture books for ELA classes.
Would I buy this for my elementary library? ABSOLUTELY YES! I think this could be a Caldecott contender for next year, but even if it isn’t, the illustrations and message of hope during natural disasters are excellent.
~Mature Content
~Profanity: none
~Sexuality: none
~Violence: none
~Drugs/Alcohol: one character silhouette on a city street MIGHT have a cigarette in his mouth. It could easily be a straw or toothpick as it is a silhouette.
~Other: Some illustrations are sad. Parents moving away from their home have devastation on their faces. A family is in a boat escaping a flash flood. A dog is in flood waters and swimming toward a boat. But the message is of hope in the face of disaster.
March 18, 2025
In the companion book to Love, this time de la Peña and Long share the many places and forms that can define the term "home" for kids, including those in the city or the country, on the road, at the seashore, on a lake, or in a forest - in good times and in bad. It is not about the place, rather it is the people who surround you that make it a home.
Matt de la Peña's poetic text is quiet and gentle, and captures the essence of each place being described.
Loren Long delivers some of his most emotional work here, as many of these children are not living in what we consider to be "normal" circumstances and some that I consider challenging. The child living on a houseboat with his grandfather, the noisy outside world encroaching inside and disturbing the calm in the home, the child sleeping in the cab of his father's big rig as they travel across country, and the family made homeless by Nature's fury. These are all tempered by the presence of family and friends who bring joy and love into the lives of these children. Long's art was rendered "on archival foam core with acrylic paint and whatever dust and dog hair happened to be floating around the artist's studio". As often in his work, there is a dreamy, long-ago feel to many of the scenarios, making the reader feel very comfortable and "at home". Be sure to check out the secret cover!!
Use this in units on "What makes a home?", family, and hope for the future.
Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 3.
Matt de la Peña's poetic text is quiet and gentle, and captures the essence of each place being described.
Loren Long delivers some of his most emotional work here, as many of these children are not living in what we consider to be "normal" circumstances and some that I consider challenging. The child living on a houseboat with his grandfather, the noisy outside world encroaching inside and disturbing the calm in the home, the child sleeping in the cab of his father's big rig as they travel across country, and the family made homeless by Nature's fury. These are all tempered by the presence of family and friends who bring joy and love into the lives of these children. Long's art was rendered "on archival foam core with acrylic paint and whatever dust and dog hair happened to be floating around the artist's studio". As often in his work, there is a dreamy, long-ago feel to many of the scenarios, making the reader feel very comfortable and "at home". Be sure to check out the secret cover!!
Use this in units on "What makes a home?", family, and hope for the future.
Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 3.
March 5, 2025
I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.
de la Pena’s books are always profoundly moving, and Home is no exception. There is an exploration of many times of man-made homes but when it comes down to it, Earth is the home of all of us so one can never really be without a home. There is a meditative feel to this book as we explore the different aspects of home and the world around us. Another beautiful book by an award-winning author and sure to win more awards.
de la Pena’s books are always profoundly moving, and Home is no exception. There is an exploration of many times of man-made homes but when it comes down to it, Earth is the home of all of us so one can never really be without a home. There is a meditative feel to this book as we explore the different aspects of home and the world around us. Another beautiful book by an award-winning author and sure to win more awards.
March 29, 2025
A strong complement to this duo’s prior work, LOVE. Spotlights of what the essence of home is and how it makes you feel, even when it seems troubling. A few double page spreads that evoke strong emotion within the reader. A reflective picture book with artwork that subtly affirms women in male-dominated roles and celebrates how “home� is accessible to everyone.
April 1, 2025
Beautiful illustrations help capture the meaning of home along with the tenderly written text. Readers see how many ways places can be home, and then de la Pena zeroes in on home being the people we love not a place. Readers see homes destroyed and lost and people hurting and rallying and fighting back. I love the message and encouragement provided by these two - de la Pena and Long.
April 6, 2025
The thread of home wasn't as strong as the thread of Love in the first book Love that de la Pena and Long partnered on but it's still warm picture book but one where the warmth is brought about by the tragedy that much of the story focuses on.
Visually there are a few pages that I stopped to soak up.
Visually there are a few pages that I stopped to soak up.
February 10, 2025
A beautifully narrated audiobook by the author with sound effects to match. This is timely, especially with those who lost their homes in the LA fires. I can't wait to see the illustrations by Loren Long when this releases March 11.
March 29, 2025
"Home is not a house you leave behind but the people who walk beside you."
This is a lyrical exploration of homes of all types, including the loss of home due to natural disasters or economic circumstances. Beautifully illustrated. For grades 2 & up.
This is a lyrical exploration of homes of all types, including the loss of home due to natural disasters or economic circumstances. Beautifully illustrated. For grades 2 & up.
April 3, 2025
This has been an emotional week for me with both high highs and a couple of lows so take that first. This book is what I would call a picture book for grownups. Not that children can't like and get something from it, but it's about things more adults understand.
April 5, 2025
Both the text and illustration are lovely. I even teared up a bit. As a book for children it felt more like a reassurance than a story, and I am beginning to lose patience with therapy disguised as picture books.
April 6, 2025
What a powerhouse, between the deep & impactful words from Matt and the incredibly gorgeous illustrations from Loreen. Home can be and mean so many different things.
This is one not to be missed! I definitely already want to read it again.
This is one not to be missed! I definitely already want to read it again.
April 6, 2025
Beautiful reverie on home, how varied it can be for different people, how it can be threatened and destroyed, how it can be carried in the heart and found again in family, friends, school, and especially in nature. Vivid illustrations by Loren Long.
September 11, 2024
I read an advance copy of this book through Edelweiss, it will be released in March 2025. This book features stirring words and beautiful illustrations, as we've come to expect from Matt De La Pena. This is an exploration on the meaning of home, and it is wonderful, touching and insightful. I wouldn't be surprised to see this on the Caldecott honor list.
November 20, 2024
3.5 rounded up to 4.
ARC from Edelweiss.
ARC from Edelweiss.
March 12, 2025
What a beautiful heartwarming book! Loved it!
March 12, 2025
Beautifully illustrated and uplifting picture book about the meaning of home and the ways in which that concept can change over time.
March 14, 2025
I really enjoyed this one but it is kind of heavy at times. The illustrations are very pretty and I did like the message. Definitely for older littles (6-7).
March 16, 2025
This one doesn't hit it out of the ballpark like LOVE did. The text is disjointed and doesn't flow.
March 18, 2025
Gorgeous book - pictures and writing!
March 23, 2025
“Home is not the walls we build up around our orderly little lives but the wild, wild world outside.�
“Promising that all life is one life when the winds do come they will carry you home.�
“Promising that all life is one life when the winds do come they will carry you home.�
March 26, 2025
What a beautiful story. Home is not the physical place you live but the things you surround your body and heart with. Love love love!
March 30, 2025
Great companion to Love. Loren Long's illustrations are so good.
April 1, 2025
This book made me cry. Read it.
April 11, 2025
Love this continuation and so glad Matt and Loren have so much to say.
April 12, 2025
A lyrical poem-story about rebuilding a sense of home and community after loss.
April 13, 2025
The definition of home is different for all of us and here the author depicts in words baboons definitions of home. It really was the art by Loren Long that I was fascinated with which looks as if these paintings should be hanging in an art museum. They definitely have a feel of days that have passed by. I really did like the art.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
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