Book Review: Jerome’s Magical Home

Jerome’s Magical Home: A Whimsical Children’s Book About Friendship, Imagination, and Finding Joy in Imperfection by Felicia Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This sweet story is filled with wonder, brought to life through colorful illustrations. for small children, this may be their first lessons in “be careful what you wish for” and “treasure what you already have”.

Little Joan visits her friend Jerome, and is astounded to see that his home is filled with magical creatures who do all the work, from dishwashing to tidying his room. She’s amazed, and jealous. But after a while, Jerome explains that sometimes the magic misbehaves and actually makes problems and more work around his house. He wants to come see where she lives. Of course, she’s embarrassed that they don’t have magic, just an ordinary house… but it all works out when they have the best time ever at her plain, ordinary house.

The story is mostly told in rhyming couplets, but occasionally the rhythm becomes uneven, with some lines not rhyming at all. Young readers encountering rhyme for the first time may notice the shift in cadence.

The artwork is lovely and filled with details – children love looking at details! And the lesson is a strong one, delivered positively and gently.

All in all, it’s a little treasure of a book. If read aloud to kids, practice it a few times, so you’re ready for those style shifts I mentioned above.