Great children’s books appeal not only to young audiences, but to adults as well. The writing/illustrating team of Kate Banks and Georg Hallensleben, creators of The Great Blue House and The Cat Who Walked Across France are great examples. The hallmarks of the books are lyrical prose and rich, impressionistic artistry that blend together into a rich narrative.

My daughter really likes The Great Blue House and The Cat Who Walked Across France. The illustrations are rich and warm and full of detail. The stories are simple. The language is melodic. They are great bedtime books. As I said, she really likes them. But l, I LOVE both of these books.

In The Great Blue House, the author and illustrator both draw on words and images with loaded meanings. Who doesn’t yearn for a big blue summer house with a huge yard and a creek and forest nearby? The simple lines of the house and the joy that the large family takes in the simple pleasures of being there bring back memories of summers past. And, when memories fall short, they give us the promise of future summers and lazy days spent playing in the sun. The pace of the The Great Blue House is dreamlike, as the house shifts from late summer, to fall, winter, spring and then back to summer again.

And, The Cat Who Walked Across France provides the same richness. Underlying the story is a yearning for a lost home in the sun. Our hero, the cat, must leave his home in Marseille when his person dies. He’s moved to the North of France with all of the old woman’s possessions. He misses the sun, the ships in the harbor, salt in the air and the smell of lemons and decides to walk home—across France.

Just as in The Great Blue House, the story is simple, but it softly sings and, if you allow it, it lulls you into a dream-like state. The images are lovely. If you’ve ever been to France, you’re immediately transported not just to a location, but to a sense of place—with sights, smells, tastes and sounds that pull you deep into your own story of France: A walk along the Seine at sunset or a day spent bike riding in the Loire countryside. And, always, the author reminds of the cat’s yearning for home, with the repeated refrain, “the stone house by the edge of the sea.” When the cat finds its way home, settles on the couch and falls asleep with the smell of lemons in the air, we are home too.