THE LITTLE LITTLE GIRL WITH THE BIG BIG VOICE

Anyone who's spent time around young children will immediately recognize this little girl, an irrepressible kid who wants only to find a playmate who can keep up with her.

Exuberant, stylized illustrations in bright pink, peach, coral, lime, orange and lemon effectively portray this girl and her energy. Bands of color radiate outward from her relatively small image, visually expressing her spirit (and "big, big voice"). The brief, simple text begins as if it were a folktale—"There was a little, little girl"—and proceeds deliberately, almost at a stately pace: She visits animal after animal, scaring off each one in turn. It isn't until a lion roars back at her that she realizes she has met her match. Other kids might cry or be afraid, but she just laughs, overjoyed. Folkloric elements in the art complement the text; patterns repeat in the girl's hair, on the animals' hides and in the backgrounds. However, the overall look is modern, with bold use of color and shape making the images pop. While ethnicity isn't directly addressed here, this little girl's brown face and glossy black hair make her an accessible everygirl for a contemporary, diverse population.

Young readers can practically hear this little, little girl's big, big voice from where they're sitting, and most preschoolers will know exactly how she feels. (Picture book. 3-6)