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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
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THE RAMBLE SHAMBLE CHILDREN

Christina Soontornvat Lauren Castillo

The delightful story of an unconventional family of kids who learn the ups and downs of working together.
Merra, Locky, Roozle, Finn, and little Jory love their ramble shamble house. It's a lot of work taking care of the garden, the chickens, and themselves, but they all pitch in to make it easier--even Jory, who looks after the mud puddles. When they come across a picture of a "proper" house in a book, they start wondering if their own home is good enough. So they get to work "propering up" the garden, the chickens, and even the mud puddles. But the results aren't exactly what they expected, and when their now-proper household's youngest member goes missing, they realize that their ramble shamble home might be just right for their family, after all.

Christina Soontornvat is very proud of both her Thai and her Texan roots. She's the author of the fantasy middle grade series The Changelings and the early chapter book series Diary of an Ice Princess. Her forthcoming books include the middle grade fantasy A Wish in the Dark and All Thirteen, a nonfiction account of the Thai Cave Rescue. She holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in science education. She spent a decade working in the science museum field, where she designed programs and exhibits to get kids excited about science. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, two young children, and one old cat.

Lauren Castillo studied illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art and received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is the author and illustrator of the 2015 Caldecott Honor-winning book Nana in the City, as well as The Troublemaker and Melvin and the Boy. Lauren has also illustrated several critically acclaimed picture books, including Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley, Yard Sale by Eve Bunting, and City Cat by Kate Banks. She currently draws and dreams in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
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Book

Published 2021-03-09 by Nancy Paulsen Books

Comments

THE RAMBLE SHAMBLE CHILDREN was chosen as a Horn Book Fanfare 2021

Children love the idea of living on their own independent of adults and this book celebrates that desire with a masterful blend of illustration and story.

In a fairy-tale-like setting amid remote mountains and trees, five children who live in a rundown house learn to appreciate what they have... The spectacle of young children living independently from adults will fire up young readers' imaginations, and the illustrations, with bold colors and sunshine-filled landscapes, will only fuel that fire.

From [the] first welcoming sentence we know we're in classic picture book territory - words and rhythms that taste just right and the ever-appealing theme of children in charge, with no adults on the scene.

Sweet-tempered writing by Soontornvat (All Thirteen) and affectionate spreads by Caldecott Honoree Castillo (Our Friend Hedgehog) make it clear that the ramble shamble house, with no parents in sight, is perfect the way it is. ... The underlying Pippi Longstocking-style setting - children living and thriving together - could easily sustain further episodes.

Charmingly illustrated in Castillo's signature style... Soontornvat's complete lack of exposition, with no explanation of how five diverse children came to live this way, lends the story a classic, old-timey feel that allows readers to focus on more important things: what it means to contribute to the well-being of others, what makes a family, and what love looks like. Hint: It doesn't look like diamond chandeliers. Readers will surely want to join this sweet family.