Houses with a Story

Starred review from October 9, 2023
Yoshida (Everyday Scenes from a Parallel World) showcases 30 homes, some of which are inspired by his favorite tales, in this intricately crafted collection of annotated illustrations. Presented first in street-view, then as cross-sections, the structures include an astronomer’s residence, the post office of a dragon tamer, and a ghost’s mansion, among others. Both the dwellings and their accompanying lore boast a mixture of Japanese and Western influences, though not all the buildings are traditional houses; residents live in train cars, military tanks, and even cacao nuts. Interior renderings and floorplans portrayed using cozy, painterly strokes, and meticulously thin, detailed line point out essential décor and include a summary of the figures who live there. Some houses, such as the mechanic’s cottage, are pedestrian, with whimsical details: a note reveals that the mechanic named his boat Max to honor Where the Wild Things Are. Others are rooted in fantasy, with nods to practicality: in the witch’s house, its owner “has a penchant for square bottles that fit snugly in the medicine cabinet.” In a foreword, the creator writes that his goal is “to recreate my childhood self’s delight.” Via the myriad abodes that populate this assemblage, that sense of wonder and mystery is transmitted in full. Abundant back matter, including concepts and commentary from Yoshida as well as a step-by-step breakdown of the creation process, concludes. Ages 12–up.

October 15, 2023
In this work translated from Japanese, 30 homes from worlds real and imagined are revealed in watercolor-style illustrations. From lighthouse to treehouse, tower to subway station, each home in this collection is charmingly rendered in digitally colored hand-drawn sketches that evoke "the warmth of a picture book." Accompanied by cutaways detailing the home's history, inhabitants, and plumbing, every page transports readers to the scene of a new story. Some homes, like "The Post Office of the Dragon Tamer," with its dragon stable, convenient payment window, and rarely used bathtub, exist outside of familiar space and time. Others, like the unprofitable "Kaidan-Do Bookstore," filled with shelves of used books and run by a lonely shopkeeper, could appear around the corner in your own neighborhood. The homes and the vignettes describing them are clever and tenderly expressed; many are Japanese or East Asian, but other cultures and locations are represented. Equally fascinating are the substantial sections detailing Yoshida's process and craft. A background graphic artist for games and manga, Yoshida also includes sidebars sharing his research on roofs and toilets, documenting his own work studio, and revealing the time periods and countries that inspired each house. Readers with an interest in illustration, architecture, or worldbuilding will find much to pore over in this visually engaging art book. Offers tantalizing glimpses into imagination-inspiring rooms full of untold stories. (select bibliography) (Illustrated fiction. 12-adult)

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January 1, 2024

Gr 8 Up-In this fantastical art book about remarkably diverse houses and their residents, 30 amazing, surreal, and imagined homes are constructed through colorful, hand-drawn sketches accompanied by notes that bring the houses to life. The buildings are influenced by a mixture of Eastern and Western architecture styles, and readers tour each one, from both outside and within. From a Kaidan-Do bookstore to a methodical witch's house, a forgotten orphan's castle to a dreamer's tree house, an apple cider mill to a melancholy lighthouse, every home is accompanied by a written history, inhabitants, and lore. The sidebars show Yoshida's intensive research on building materials, roofs, and plumbing. The interior floor plans, furniture, room layouts, diagrams, and personal items illustrate details in the lives of residents. The epilogue, "Concepts and Commentary Line Drawings," reveals and documents Yoshida's own work studio, providing readers a glimpse into the process behind the artwork. VERDICT Readers with an interest in architecture, watercolor, illustration, worldbuilding, or Miyazaki's works will find inspiration in this richly visualized art book.-Anna Ching-Yu Wong

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