posted on 24 Sep 2025

Lulu Moves Home by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

The cosy fictional world of Lulu is one of those that I would be happy to live in. Over the years, we have enjoyed watching her and her little brother grow and learn through a range of everyday adventures. She sometimes looks a bit anxious, but is always encouraged by the kind adults around her who trust her to be confident in her abilities and to contribute to solving problems.

This time her family is not only moving from a flat to a new house, but is also preparing for the arrival of a new baby. These are familiar but often daunting experiences for young children because of the potential upheaval and obvious change to family dynamics. I remember my own three-year-old daughter was uncharacteristically subdued for several days when we left the home where she had grown up. Lulu’s very sensible parents are much more organised than I was and prepare their two children for the big change by involving them with the complicated packing plan involving stickers for each box. They manage to make the whole process look so orderly and easy, with everybody smiling and co-operative that any child with qualms would be reassured!

When I recently shared the book with a group of four-year-olds, one was keen to know what would happen to the cat shown on the front cover. It turned out that her grandad had recently moved house to a different town, and he had left his cat with a neighbour in case it got lost. We talked for a while about how pets could sometimes get distressed and confused but how others were very flexible ‘as long as they had plenty of food and drink’!

The first double page spread showed the family of four looking with excitement at an advert for a bigger house because mummy is having another baby. Another child explained that a baby doesn’t take up too much space for about one year, but her friend threw in the possibility that it might be twins or even triplets. As ever, children love to contribute their own experiences to a story and it turns out that several had twins in their families. Once we got back on track, we were able to see how Lulu and her brother Tayo were gently reassured about the impending move.  Once almost everything was packed, they enjoyed a goodbye supper prepared by Mrs Rehman, who lives upstairs.

We particularly liked the illustration showing the children being photographed in front of their height chart. This encouraged a lot more talking about personal height charts, which room they were kept in etc and why they were important. As the story progressed, we were pleased to see that the cat was safely contained in a carrier basket as they entered the new house. It seems that they have moved into another friendly community because their neighbours arrive with dinner and flowers!

The importance of books is always at the heart of the Lulu stories, so it was no surprise to see her put her three best ones on the shelf beside her bed before she settles down to sleep:

‘Lulu’s new room smells different

And feels kind of funny.

But she can see the stars 

Through her new window.’    

I strongly recommend this positive picture book which will be a great resource to use in the classroom when talking about different kinds of homes and the impact of change. Hopefully it will encourage children to reflect on their own experiences of moving home and the imminent arrival of a new baby in a family. 

It is published by Alanna Max and should be available from your local independent bookshop – who will be happy to order it for you if they don’t have it on their shelves. Alternatively, you can order directly form www.alannamax.com. 

Karen Argent

September 2025