The Dream House
India
Author
Tuula Pere
Illustrator
Akanksha Priya
Themes
When the villagers step in to help, there’s this quiet, powerful shift from despair to resilience. The idea that kindness and community can rebuild what was lost is one of the strongest themes, and it gave me a sense of hope.
The writing captures that gut-wrenching mix of excitement and dread the kind you get when something seems too good to be true, but you don’t want to believe it.
It’s perfect for families who enjoy heartfelt stories with a strong moral core, and for anyone who’s ever faced a setback but found a way forward.
— Literary Titan
It is also nice to see karma in action in this book. You reap what you sow.
Aram might very well be the most evil character in a Pere book, and we've seen some dark ones. The great thing about this is that we clearly have someone to root against (as well as protagonists to root for). We want to see Samira and her family get the dream house they want and deserve.
The illustrations may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the style is deliberate. The illustrations were done by Akanksha Priya, an Indian, in a traditional Indian art style similar to what we saw in books like Dancing Deepa. That's a thoughtful touch!
— Outstanding Creator
While this is just a story on the face of it, it does have some important lessons for kids to learn. The first is never to place your faith and trust blindly in someone you don't know – it rarely pays off. Second, it teaches kids that it's fine to dream big, but sometimes you have to accept less than what you dreamed of; less is more most of the time, though, and something is always better than nothing.
Tuula has created some lovely characters, and the other message in this book is that if you treat others with respect and kindness, they will repay you in the same way.
The Dream House by Tuula Pere is a wonderful story with hand-painted illustrations by Akanksha Priya that highlight the cultural aspect of the tale.
— Anne-Marie Reynolds, Readers’ Favorite
When the villagers step in to help, there’s this quiet, powerful shift from despair to resilience. The idea that kindness and community can rebuild what was lost is one of the strongest themes, and it gave me a sense of hope.
The writing captures that gut-wrenching mix of excitement and dread the kind you get when something seems too good to be true, but you don’t want to believe it.
It’s perfect for families who enjoy heartfelt stories with a strong moral core, and for anyone who’s ever faced a setback but found a way forward.
— Literary Titan
It is also nice to see karma in action in this book. You reap what you sow.
Aram might very well be the most evil character in a Pere book, and we've seen some dark ones. The great thing about this is that we clearly have someone to root against (as well as protagonists to root for). We want to see Samira and her family get the dream house they want and deserve.
The illustrations may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the style is deliberate. The illustrations were done by Akanksha Priya, an Indian, in a traditional Indian art style similar to what we saw in books like Dancing Deepa. That's a thoughtful touch!
— Outstanding Creator
While this is just a story on the face of it, it does have some important lessons for kids to learn. The first is never to place your faith and trust blindly in someone you don't know – it rarely pays off. Second, it teaches kids that it's fine to dream big, but sometimes you have to accept less than what you dreamed of; less is more most of the time, though, and something is always better than nothing.
Tuula has created some lovely characters, and the other message in this book is that if you treat others with respect and kindness, they will repay you in the same way.
The Dream House by Tuula Pere is a wonderful story with hand-painted illustrations by Akanksha Priya that highlight the cultural aspect of the tale.
— Anne-Marie Reynolds, Readers’ Favorite
When the villagers step in to help, there’s this quiet, powerful shift from despair to resilience. The idea that kindness and community can rebuild what was lost is one of the strongest themes, and it gave me a sense of hope.
— Literary Titan
The writing captures that gut-wrenching mix of excitement and dread the kind you get when something seems too good to be true, but you don’t want to believe it.
— Literary Titan
It’s perfect for families who enjoy heartfelt stories with a strong moral core, and for anyone who’s ever faced a setback but found a way forward.
— Literary Titan
It is also nice to see karma in action in this book. You reap what you sow.
— Outstanding Creator
Aram might very well be the most evil character in a Pere book, and we've seen some dark ones. The great thing about this is that we clearly have someone to root against (as well as protagonists to root for). We want to see Samira and her family get the dream house they want and deserve.
— Outstanding Creator
The illustrations may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the style is deliberate. The illustrations were done by Akanksha Priya, an Indian, in a traditional Indian art style similar to what we saw in books like Dancing Deepa. That's a thoughtful touch!
— Outstanding Creator
While this is just a story on the face of it, it does have some important lessons for kids to learn. The first is never to place your faith and trust blindly in someone you don't know – it rarely pays off. Second, it teaches kids that it's fine to dream big, but sometimes you have to accept less than what you dreamed of; less is more most of the time, though, and something is always better than nothing.
— Anne-Marie Reynolds, Readers’ Favorite
Tuula has created some lovely characters, and the other message in this book is that if you treat others with respect and kindness, they will repay you in the same way.
— Anne-Marie Reynolds, Readers’ Favorite
The Dream House by Tuula Pere is a wonderful story with hand-painted illustrations by Akanksha Priya that highlight the cultural aspect of the tale.
— Anne-Marie Reynolds, Readers’ Favorite
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