Building Houses & the Hearts of Children

Guest post by D. A. Smith

A dear friend recently loaned me the children's picture book "Build a House", by Rhiannon Giddens. I wanted to share it with my two daughters. We sat together, the three of us, in the sun and read this extraordinarily simple but beautiful book.

The moving illustrations, by Monica Mikai, convey the nuanced emotions that the words stoically imply. Its message is full of understanding and dignity - the overarching struggle and triumph of a people, displaced, enslaved, ultimately freed and allowed to establish their own homes is outlined in poetry and song. 

After reading through the book and spending time looking at the illustrations, we watched the accompanying music video. Rhiannon Giddens, joined by Yo-Yo Ma, gives melody to the tale. It’s steady, strong and a little haunting. My children have been singing it ever since we first listened to it and have asked several times to hear it again. 

This morning my older daughter sang “you brought me here to build a house…” and my younger daughter corrected her, saying “It's, ‘you brought me here you build YOUR house…’” to which the elder replied “Oh, that’s right,” and quickly went back to singing. 

Their understanding was clear to me then. Children are thoughtful and often guided by an inner compass that points to justice. They were moved by the story, of course. But it was the music that really settled it into their memories.  They quietly sing to themselves and think about what it all means, as they work on other projects. 

I’ve been humming it, too. The words and melody remind us again and again of Rhiannon Giddens' gentle but powerful telling of a story worth cherishing.

​“Through the rhythm of words, the lyricism of images, and the power of song, Rhiannon Giddens makes storytelling come alive. Build a House is a story to tell and to remember.” - Yo-Yo Ma

​The perfect holiday gift for the children in your life. And the grown-ups, too: Order Build a House
Read our previous post to learn more about Rhiannon Giddens.