Official Review: The House and the Doormat by Sherry Martin

Juliana_Isabella · Post by **Juliana_Isabella** » 28 Apr 2020, 16:56

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The House and the Doormat" by Sherry Martin.]

4 out of 4 stars

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The House and the Doormat by Sherry Martin is a children’s picture book. Ramona, a beautiful house, is always putting down Dusty, the doormat. Although Seemore, the window, says that Ramona will realize how important Dusty is one day, Dusty begins to lose his self-confidence due to Ramona’s mean comments. When Ramona is entered into a beautiful house contest, Dusty and Seemore worry that she will become more insufferable than ever. Will Dusty’s disappearance change Ramona’s viewpoint or will she be too busy admiring herself to notice his absence? Pick up a copy of this book to find out.

By far, my favorite part of this book is the illustrations by Lynda Farrington Wilson. I wasn’t sure how to imagine a living house made up of other living parts, but each picture helped me to see how Ramona, Dusty, and Seemore interacted. Furthermore, the illustrations really brought the characters to life and made me empathize with them as they displayed a wide range of emotions.

I also enjoyed the story in this book. The plot had just enough surprises to keep me interested, but the ending still managed to wrap up the story nicely. I could never guess where our characters were headed next, but each event included made sense within the context of the story. I really appreciated this, as many children’s books don’t include surprising elements.

Overall, I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed both the writing and illustrations, and I didn’t find any errors in it. My only complaint is that the font is a little small, but I didn’t think this was a big enough issue to merit removing a star.

I would recommend this book to parents of children ages six to nine. This would be a great book to read with a kid who struggles with self-esteem like Dusty. Alternatively, it could spark empathy in children who tend to exclude others like Ramona does. Either way, this book has valuable lessons for all young children to learn.

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The House and the Doormat
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Splendour0606 · Post by **Splendour0606** » 02 May 2020, 12:56

It is really funny imagining a living house, doormat, and a window, but I could picture the house/mat relationship as a boss/employee or a master/servant relationship.So I think adults can also relate to this book not just children.Nice review.

waltonj7480 · Post by **waltonj7480** » 02 May 2020, 15:38

I really like this . Reading this too my brother I know he will enjoy it and laugh . This could almost be a movie.

Laurina Michael Olowoniran · 02 May 2020, 16:25

A talking house with different talking parts. I know I would love it so its a must read. A beautiful review there

blessing_bona · Post by **blessing_bona** » 02 May 2020, 17:38

As a teacher, I see how much I can teach my children about teamwork, tolerance, and appreciation through this book.
Adults can benefit from it too

JohnKasha · Post by **JohnKasha** » 02 May 2020, 18:23

This is a book that is funny and at the same time friendly to kids. Thanks for the review!

kmittag67 · Post by **kmittag67** » 02 May 2020, 19:29

This book sounds like it has a definite message and purpose. A child with self-esteem issues could relate to Dusty in a positive way. Having a talking house, window, and doormat, is a unique idea to engage children. This book could be a beneficial resource for teachers and parents to discuss self-esteem concerns with their students and children. Thank you for the excellent review.

Laura Lee · Post by **Laura Lee** » 02 May 2020, 20:08

Thanks for an awesome review! It was helpful to know the age spread of the intended audience. I'm always on the lookout for good quality children's books. This sounds good!

Adanna Inya · Post by **Adanna Inya** » 03 May 2020, 00:38

An absolute delight for kids!

JKO · Post by **JKO** » 03 May 2020, 05:13

This book has a good plot. It also has colorful illustrations which makes it more relatable for kids. This is an excellent review.

FEislandqueen13 · Post by **FEislandqueen13** » 03 May 2020, 17:27

This is a great book for my little brother whose building his self esteem one day at a time. It has colorful pictures, a delightful plot and life lessons that will with resonate with kids long after the story is over.

Kachi_Ejiogu+_ · Post by **Kachi_Ejiogu+_** » 03 May 2020, 17:59

I really loved how the author used illustrations to paint a perfect picture of the characters, helping the reader empathize with them as they displayed a wide range of emotions. Great review.