THE HOUSE ON THE CANAL (picture book)
Winner Rodari prize for illustrated books, 2024
Winner ICMA books award, 2025
Nominated Carnegie Medal, 2026
ALCS Notable Books, 2026
‘Deeply moving, powerful, and breathtaking… the results are hauntingly beautiful’ - Kirkus starred review
‘Poignant, haunting… creating a sense of incidents being summoned, connected, and pondered via collective’ - Publishers Weekly starred review
The eventful history of the house where Anne Frank and her family hid. In the middle of Amsterdam, directly at Prinsengracht 263 there is a tall, narrow house. It was built 400 years ago and served as a dwelling, storage, stable and secret hiding place. It was the site of a remarkable history, spanning the rapid growth of Amsterdam during the "Golden Age" and the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II, and it offered a seemingly safe haven for Anne Frank, her family and four others for more than two years . Today the house on the canal is a much-visited museum and the seat of the Anne Frank Foundation.
Reviews:
Harding employs highly descriptive sensory language, heightening the emotions. Readers will emerge simultaneously awed by the passage of time and personally affected by the stories told. Teckentrup overlays her bright, exquisitely detailed sepia-toned depictions of the house and its environs with a misty haze; the results are hauntingly beautiful. Deeply moving, powerful, and breathtaking.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Today, the tall narrow house on an Amsterdam canal is known worldwide as both a museum honoring the life of Anne Frank (1929–1945) and the Frank family’s hiding place. But as previous collaborators Harding and Teckentrup (The House by the Lake) convey, the house is also part of a “remarkable history” that spans four centuries and myriad reasons for seeking shelter.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Adding rich historical context to the story of Anne Frank, this chronicle of the Amsterdam house where she was hidden opens with an atmospheric marshland scene in 1580.
—Booklist
The sequential story is factually told but still has warmth and affection, and while the building itself is never anthropomorphized, the interplay between the physical space and the lives of its occupants has clear emotional stakes.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Readers don’t need to be familiar with Anne’s diary to appreciate the history of the house and its environs, but for those that are, this adds rich context.
—The Horn Book
What makes this book unique is its perspective of centering the story on the house and not just Frank, providing a greater context of those who lived—and hid—within its walls. Both beautifully crafted and deeply moving, the emphasis on the enduring history of a place and the roles in life experiences makes it a valuable resource for discussions on history, resilience, and memories.
—School Library Journal
Awards:
Winner: Rodari Prize, 2024
Selection 2025: Junior Library Guild Selection
Winner: ICMA non-fiction books for children, 2025
Nominated: Carnegie Medal for illustration, 2026
Notable Books:The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), 2026
Publishers:
Germany: Jacoby & Stuart, “Das alte Haus an der Gracht” (1 February 2023)
France: La Partie, “La maison au bord du canal” (7 September 2023)
Netherlands: Querido, “Het huis aan de Prinsengracht” (3 October 2023)
Italy: Uovonero, “La vecchia casa sul canale” (10, February 2024)
China: Beijing Language and Culture University Press (2024)
UK: Walker Studio; “The House On The Canal” (2 January 2025)
USA: Candlewick Studios, “The House On The Canal” (7 January 2025)
Korea, Bookbank
About the author and other contributors
Thomas Harding, born 1968, is an award-winning bestselling author whose books have been translated into over 20 languages. He has written for the Guardian, Washington Post, FT and other newspapers. He lives with his family in the UK.
Britta Teckentrup, born 1969, is an award-winning artist and author. She studied at St Martin's College and the Royal College of Art in London and has written and illustrated over a hundred children's books which have been translated into more than 25 languages. She lives with her family in Berlin.