Always Room for One More

Written by Sorche Nic Leodhas

Illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian

Henry Holt and Co., 1972

Genre: Children's Picture book; fiction; Scottish folk song

Reading Level: Ages 5-8

32 pages

Always Room for One More is a picture book that features an old Scottish folk song paired with some unique illustrations. The song talks about a man and a woman that live in a small house on a hill and one stormy night they agree to share whatever they have to whoever comes. So everyone that passed by the man hailed them down and said "Always room for one more." The book goes on to describe each of the travelers from a tailor to a Shepard that all come into the house. Everyone in the house dances and sings and the walls bulge and the house is full but the man still says that there's room for one more. Then all of the sudden the house collapses and everyone tumbles down the hill and they all cry, "never no room no more!" All the guests and the man and the woman are sad when everyone decides they'll build up a new house for them, and their guests, and every other traveler that comes. So they build a new house, and it's bigger and better for the last one and there will always be room for one more.

I would recommend this to any child who likes rhyming words, and a story that can be sung.

I think that this book could be confusing for some children because it uses a lot of Scottish words, however there is a definition for each of them in the back of the book.

I enjoyed this book, but it was a little confusing, and a little bland. It was based off an old folk song and it was somewhat of a stretch to take away the tune and put it into a book.

My rating: 2 out of 5