This Is Where We Live

MY THOUGHTS

You know that sudden punch to the gut you get when you walk into a room and realise people there were talking about you? I felt the same way when I opened the book and looked at the first page — it was my house! Right down to the half-eaten banana and jam toast on the plate and the children’s book on the table, not to mention the other messy paraphernalia that tells you tiny human beings inhabit the house.

After that uncanny occurrence, my eyes adjusted to each spread and the book began to draw me in. This wordless picture book paints a picture of a day in Shantiniketan. From sun up to afternoon showers, to a wet evening and a peaceful night. Each spread of this book is a work of art and rich in detail! We get an in-depth look at Manjari Chakravarti’s house in Shantiniketan where we catch ourselves staring wistfully (like the cats Noorie and Jugnu) at the hullabaloo — both in the animal and human world — happening right outside the window. From birds nesting in fishtail flowers to the watchful eyes of monkeys and cats as they watch a woman slice fish. From a lizard creeping up on a moth to water pooling beside a folded umbrella — each page will capture your imagination and keep you riveted. The black and white spreads are full of detail and life and have the ability to draw you in.

My kids and I read through this book together and it was fascinating for me to see what they spotted first on each page. We talked about living in a house like the one in the book and discussed how it may be different from our own. Needles to say, this is our new favourite go-to book! 

If you love books where the pictures speak louder than words then you need to add this to your collection!