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A review by mldavisreads
The Apartment House on Poppy Hill by Nina LaCour
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Children's realistic fiction early chapter book. Ella is a nine-year old girl who has lived in the Apartment House on Poppy Hill her whole life. She lives with her mothers and knows a lot about the building and its tenants. When a new couple moves in downstairs, Ella gets so excited about welcoming them that she overwhelms them instead. They sheepishly come up to her shortly after to find out what exactly is the trick for the stove she mentioned? The residents are introduced through Ella's eyes, the couple that lives with their two dogs, the single woman who likes to play her homemade instrument every night at dusk, and the mysterious older couple who live on the top floor.
This story is divided into vignettes, each with its own chapters, which makes the individual chapters a very approachable length. There are some black and white illustrations, ranging in size from small partial page to full two-page spread. It's a very sweet slice-of-life story with casual inclusion-- Ella's parents are both female and the couple with the dogs is made up of two males. I also appreciated the age inclusion with the Robinsons upstairs, and their tendency to be aware of everything but not actually present was quite amusing. A fun story and I look forward to reading more in this series.
This story is divided into vignettes, each with its own chapters, which makes the individual chapters a very approachable length. There are some black and white illustrations, ranging in size from small partial page to full two-page spread. It's a very sweet slice-of-life story with casual inclusion-- Ella's parents are both female and the couple with the dogs is made up of two males. I also appreciated the age inclusion with the Robinsons upstairs, and their tendency to be aware of everything but not actually present was quite amusing. A fun story and I look forward to reading more in this series.