A Place to Call Home

Alexis Deacon (author)

Vivane Schwarz (illustrator)

Walker Books, Australia: April 2011

Genres: allegory, picture book

Issues: change, community, risk taking

When a family of critters grows too big for their nice, safe, warm, dark hole, they have to go out into the big, scary world. Where do they belong now?

This is a picture book in which text and illustrations are so interdependent that the story carried by each is incomplete without the other. Schwarz's images show that in their desire to feel safe, to carry a small hole with them, the critters' discoveries are in fact hampered by their determination to hang onto their past. As with the Indian tale of the blind men and the elephant, by defining everything they encounter in terms of things with which they're familiar, the critters miss new learning opportunities and often completely misinterpret the world around them. It is only when one of their group is threatened that the critters gather their courage, put aside their fears and assumptions, and work together – thereby setting themselves free.

This very clever allegorical tale explores the nature of change and how it affects us. After facing their fears and going well outside their comfort zones, the critters become resilient and when they do find a new 'hole', it is one that leads them into a vast and wonder-filled world.

A must for every library, this is a picture book about risk-taking and empowerment.

Cannot be too highly recommended.