House moving takes on new meaning in this offbeat tale. When the Petersons leave for a vacation, their house decides to go on holiday too. Each part of the house has his/her own notion of where to go, but they finally agree on seeing the sea. The long trip is arduous, but the dawn of sunlight and the lure of the water provide a thrilling adventure, as the house sets sail and then returns home with a satisfying memory, startling the family with its waterlogged condition. Oil-and-colored pencil illustrations create hazy, molded background scenes that contrast sharply with the bright red house with black stick feet and google-eyed faces on the various parts. The pun-loaded dialogue is really adult humor: The chimney complains, “I feel like I’ve got the flue,” while the bedroom windows creak, “Oh! The pane!” and the roof grumbles, “Man, am I sore. I feel like I’ve got the shingles.” Nevertheless, kids will enjoy the silliness and animated house sections. (Picture book. 4-8)
