The Biggest House in the World - Paperback

by Leo Lionni (Author)

The beloved fable about loving your home from four-time Caldecott Honor-winner Leo Lionni.

A young snail dreams of having the biggest house--or shell--in the world. Then one day, his wise father tells him the story of another snail with the same dream. He grew and grew, adding bright colors and beautiful designs, until he found that his house came at a terrible cost. The young snail decides that a small, easy-to-carry shell might be best for a life of adventure and exploration.

Front Jacket

Illus. in full color. A young snail realizes that a big house might be a disaster for him.

Back Jacket

In a fable within a fable, a wise snail convinces his son that a small, easy to carry shell might be better than the biggest house in the world for a life of adventure and exploration.

Author Biography

Leo Lionni, an internationally known designer, illustrator, and graphic artist, was born in Holland and lived in Italy until he came to the United States in 1939. He was the recipient of the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was honored posthumously in 2007 with the Society of Illustrators' Lifetime Achievement Award. His picture books are distinguished by their enduring moral themes, graphic simplicity and brilliant use of collage, and include four Caldecott Honor Books: Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Hailed as "a master of the simple fable" by the Chicago Tribune, he died in 1999 at the age of 89.