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The Biggest House in the World (Knopf Children's Paperbacks) Paperback – Picture Book, August 12, 1973
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A young snail dreams of having the biggest house—or shell—in the world. Then one day, his wise father tells him the story of another snail with the same dream. He grew and grew, adding bright colors and beautiful designs, until he found that his house came at a terrible cost. The young snail decides that a small, easy-to-carry shell might be best for a life of adventure and exploration.
- Reading age3 - 7 years
- Print length32 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade levelPreschool - 2
- Lexile measureAD690L
- Dimensions6.94 x 0.14 x 8.88 inches
- PublisherDragonfly Books
- Publication dateAugust 12, 1973
- ISBN-100394827406
- ISBN-13978-0394827407
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"The translucent color of the pictures and the simplicity of the text make a perfect combination." —Book World.
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Product details
- Publisher : Dragonfly Books; Reissue edition (August 12, 1973)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 32 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0394827406
- ISBN-13 : 978-0394827407
- Reading age : 3 - 7 years
- Lexile measure : AD690L
- Grade level : Preschool - 2
- Item Weight : 3.6 ounces
- Dimensions : 6.94 x 0.14 x 8.88 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #102,345 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #434 in Children's Values Books
- #961 in Children's Self-Esteem Books
- #6,260 in Children's Animals Books
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
author spotlight
“From time to time, from the endless flow of our mental imagery, there emerges unexpectedly something that, vague though it may be, seems to carry the promise of a form, a meaning, and, more important, an irresistible poetic charge.”—Leo Lionni
Leo Lionni wrote and illustrated more than 40 highly acclaimed children’s books. He received the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was a four-time Caldecott Honor Winner—for Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Leo Lionni died in October of 1999 at his home in Tuscany, Italy, at the age of 89.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“Of all the questions I have been asked as an author of children’s books, the most frequent one, without doubt, has been ‘How do you get your ideas?’ Most people seem to think that getting an idea is both mysterious and simple. Mysterious, because inspiration must come from a particular state of grace with which only the most gifted souls are blessed. Simple, because ideas are expected to drop into one’s mind in words and pictures, ready to be transcribed and copied in the form of a book, complete with endpapers and cover. The word get expresses these expectations well. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.
“It is true that, from time to time, from the endless flow of our mental imagery, there emerges unexpectedly something that, vague though it may be, seems to carry the promise of a form, a meaning, and, more important, an irresistible poetic charge. The sense of instant recognition with which we pull this image into the full light of our consciousness is the initial impulse of all creative acts. But, though it is important, it produces no more than the germ of an idea. Each book, at the birth of its creative history, has such a moment. Some are fortunate enough to have, from the outset, a strongly identified hero, one with an inescapable destiny. Others are blessed with a promising beginning, or perhaps with the vision of an ending (which means working backwards to a surprise opening). Others stem from a clearly articulated conflict situation. Sometimes, I must admit, the motivations of a book may be found in a sudden, unreasonable urge to draw a certain kind of crocodile. And it may even happen that in the dark of our minds there appears, out of nowhere, a constellation of words that has the bright, arrogant solidity of a title. Only last night I was jolted out of a near-slumber by the words the mouse that didn’t exist. I am sure that, temporarily tucked away in my memory, they will eventually become the title of a story for which as yet I have no idea.
“To shape and sharpen the logic of a story, to tighten the flow of events, ultimately to define the idea in its totality, is much like a game of chess. In the light of overall strategy, each move is the result of doubts, proposals, and rejections, which inevitably bring to mind the successes or failures of previous experiences.
“Inspirational raptures may happen, but most books are shaped through hard, disciplined work. Creative work, to be sure, because its ingredients come from the sphere of the imaginary. But the manipulation of these ingredients requires much more than mere inclination or talent. It is an intricate process in which the idea slowly takes form, by trial and error, through detours and side roads, which, were it not for the guidance of professional rigor, would lead the author into an inextricable labyrinth of alternatives.
“And so, to the question ‘How do you get your ideas?’ I am tempted to answer, unromantic though it may sound, ‘Hard work.’ ”
Leo Lionni has gained international renown for his paintings, graphic designs, illustrations, and sculpture, as well as for his books for children. He was born in Holland in 1910 of Dutch parents, and although his education did not include formal art courses (in fact, he has a doctorate in economics from the University of Genoa), he spent much of his free time as a child in Amsterdam’s museums, teaching himself to draw.
Lionni’s business training gradually receded into the background as his interest in art and design grew. Having settled in Milan soon after his marriage in 1931, he started off by writing about European architecture for a local magazine. It was there that he met the contacts who were to give him a start as a professional graphic designer. When he moved to America in 1939, Lionni was hired by a Philadelphia advertising agency as art director. Later he became design director for the Olivetti Corporation of America, and then art director for Fortune magazine. At the same time, his reputation as an artist flourished as he began to exhibit his paintings and drawings in galleries from New York to Japan.
Lionni launched his career as an author/illustrator of books for children in 1959. Originally developed from a story he had improvised for his grandchildren during a dull train ride, Little Blue and LittleYellow was the first of what is now a long list of children’s picture books, including four Caldecott Honor Books.
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In this book, the little snail tells his father he wants to have the biggest house in the world. The father tells his son that is silly, that he should keep easy to carry. The father says once a little snail grew a house as big as a melon, added pointed bulges and bright colors, and was admired by butterfiles and frogs. But he and the other snails ate up the cabbage on which they lived. The other snails moved to the next cabbage, but the snail with the big house was stuck, and "faded away." His house crumbled into nothing. The son decides to follow his father's advice and keep his house small. One day he goes on to see the world-- ferns, pebbles, lichen, trees, flowers-- and the little snail was very happy.
The moral could be not to weigh yourself down with big purchases or large debts-- like Dave Ramsey says. Or that you should be content with what you have. Or that possessions are temporary but experiences aren't.
It's a book I've loved for years, my kids love it now, the illustrations are beautiful, and the story makes a good fable.
Top reviews from other countries
Um livro que trata sobre o "peso" de se ter as coisas.
Reviewed in Brazil on December 27, 2019
Um livro que trata sobre o "peso" de se ter as coisas.