What this little book lacks in stature it more than makes up for with content. One hundred and forty-four pages, to be exact, with 122 quaint illustrations.

Originally published in Poland in 1938, it follows a very polite Mr Rouse as he plans his new home. He learns a lot in the process and so do we, as the story skips along with a curious mix of prose and verse. In this age of technological gadgetry, this book seems absurdly antiquated and yet pretty much everything inside is as relevant today as it was over 70 years ago.

This is a little book for small hands but don’t be fooled, there’s a lot going on here. Ages 4 and up will enjoy Mr Rouse.

Alexa Dretzke