House That Jane Built: A Story About Jane Addams

Trying to encourage empathy in my little one and this book definitely helps.

Author Tanya Stone and illustrator Kathryn Brown deliver a charming and accurate introduction to the productive and inspiring life of Jane Addams. I have researched Jane Hull and the settlement house movement fairly extensively, and this book offers young readers enough information for them to remember this remarkable woman's efforts, but not so much to overwhelm them. On the first page of the book, Stone asks "Why would a wealthy young woman do this (i.e. use her wealth to feed, clothe, and educate poor people while living their neighborhood as well) when she could have lived anywhere?" This question resonated with me since I had asked myself the same question when I first learned about Jane Addams and Hull House in high school. As an educator, this book delights me as I would like to see more emphasis on women and social reform taught in social studies and history courses. In addition, I can see a great benefit to reading the book with one's child as a springboard for discussing the value of community and helping others. Finally, the writing, the woman's biography, the history, and the art are engaging and accessible for primary aged children; I know I would have loved to read about a woman who made a difference in the world when I was a young girl! I also enjoyed the author's note at the end and appreciated that she listed further resources. Regardless of your purpose in reading this book, you'll find there's a reason it has won so many awards! Finally, the muted watercolor illustrations provide a sense of time and place and depict the diversity of people who were served by Hull House in Chicago at the turn of the last century, so even the art informs young readers' historical awareness.

I highly recommend your purchasing this book for children on your shopping list—or simply as a volume to enjoy with children you love. I write this as a lifelong journalist who understands the important innovations this heroic woman brought to American life. Her outreach to marginalized and vulnerable men, women and children was what I hope we can agree is part of the noblest impulses in our American culture. As a journalist, I've also reported on many men and women still working away in needy communities, many of them making remarkable headway and many of them well aware of Jane Addams' early example. Unfortunately, in our popular culture, we've forgotten this amazing woman. As another reviewer has noted, this book is simply a gateway story with relatively concise text, so lots of Jane Addams' life and work is left out. But perhaps after enjoying Jane's story in this beautiful format, readers might be tempted to go on and read her classic, 20 Years at Hull-House Bravo to the team that created this fun picture book! We need all the Jane Addams memories we can summon.

Beautiful pages. I bought this for my 4th grade classroom. It’s a 4th grade level for the Ar program. It’s a short and easy read which appeals to reluctant readers. It’s a great story about a woman starting a boarding home in Chicago. I had never heard Of her or her notoriety with the FBI. They do discuss that she was notorious for her radical socialist views. Just a heads up. Picked this up because it was recommended for the little people big dreams series. I like how it’s short and sweet but very informative.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book about a very admirable woman. My 9 year old granddaughter and I were both impressed. The main body of the book is mostly concerned with her heart and actions for the poor, but a small section in the back also includes information about her peace activism. I am proud to be named "Jane" when I read this excellent book!