The Humongous Humdingle Family and the Tiny House (Michelle Wilson, illus PJ Reece, EK Books)

In The Humongous Humdingle Family and the Tiny House, Michelle Wilson introduces readers to the eight human members of the multi-generational Humdingle family, and their many pets, who all live together in a very tiny house. Constantly in each other’s way, they keep one another awake, squish onto their one couch or one garden chair in a big family heap, and await their turn for the remote control or—worst of all—for the little house’s sole toilet. Despite the inevitable tensions and frustration, the family’s bond is clear, and life is ‘never lonely or boring’. When their wildest dreams unexpectedly come true and they find themselves with more space than they could ever have imagined, they realise how empty life feels without the chaos of living in each other’s pockets. This heartwarming story gently explores how we often don’t appreciate what we have until we see it from a different perspective and highlights the importance of close family connections. PJ Reece’s illustrations are full of dynamic detail, perfectly capturing the tiny house bursting at the seams with family activity. The illustrations—rendered in a soft palette using a pen, pencil and wash style—are created digitally and complement the sparse but engaging story. Full of warmth and whimsy, the book will appeal to children aged three and older.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Anica Boulanger-Mashberg is a freelance editor and writer, and a bookseller at the Hobart Bookshop. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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