Like eating at a restaurant called “Mom’s,” there are those who avoid any children’s title with the word “Littlest” in it. What a mistake that would be in this case. Brimner has written a wonderful and reassuring read-aloud, full of comfort, rhythm, and repetition. Aruego and Dewey (Weird Friends, p. 329, etc.) work their familiar magic, with waggish, big-eyed, slightly anthropomorphized animals and brilliantly patterned natural backgrounds. Big Gray (a wolf) is watching his pups, and asks Little One why he is not playing with his brothers and sisters. “Frankie said that I do not roll in a straight line,” he says. And indeed, Little One zigs and zags and rolls in a line with curves. But Big Gray says, “That is just as it should be. . . . Lines without curves come later.” Ana runs like the wind, and says Little One is a slowpoke. Little One runs like a soft breeze, but that too is as it should be—“Running like the wind comes later.” Tyler scoffs at Little One’s pounces, and Big Gray assures him that pouncing as high as the poppies is just as it should be for now. The interaction between dad and pup—Little One clambers onto his father, Big Gray places a huge claw on his son’s head, and by glance and gesture the comfort in the parent’s words become visible. In the end, Big Gray reminds Little One what the tiny acorn he’s been fidgeting with will become. Move over, Leo the Late Bloomer, it’s Little One’s turn. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-06-029039-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2002
A heartwarming reminder to embrace change.
A dog who belongs to an expecting couple adjusts to home life as a new baby arrives.
Pepita, the family pet, is beloved and still so little they call her Bebita (baby girl). But Pepita’s world is changing as her Mami and Papi await the arrival of a baby. Pepita is used to being spoiled “with treats and tummy rubs and my favorite fluffy pillow….But lately, things have been changing.” As the home gets new additions like a crib and gifts from the grandparents, Pepita feels left out, no longer the center of attention. Once the baby arrives, Pepita tries to adjust but is kept up at night by crying and doesn’t get playtime like before. But Pepita’s sweetness shines through as she finds ways to help out and bond with the new baby. “I feel so proud to be the big sister,” she concludes. The book is sprinkled with Spanish phrases, reflecting that Pepita is part of a Latine household; readers unfamiliar with Spanish will find the glossary helpful. Illustrations are warm and cuddly throughout, and the story is highly relatable; soon-to-be big siblings fretting over a new arrival will find it especially comforting. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A heartwarming reminder to embrace change. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780593566985
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
A snow-covered countryside may look barren of life, but Stewart’s quiet text takes readers under the blanket of white to “a hidden world” where ladybugs sleep en masse and voles tunnel from tree to tree, where a wood frog freezes safely solid and bluegills and waterboatmen share frigid waters, where a turtle lies buried in mud and “even on the coldest winter days, red-spotted newts dodge and dart, whiz and whirl just below the ice.” Bergum’s equally quiet watercolors spread across the pages in panels that offer cross-sections and magnified details to give readers glimpses of the world beneath the snow. Their precision lends a dignity and beauty even to a sleeping centipede and a barbeled carp. Readers will come away with an appreciation for the adaptability and endurance of the animal world. (Informational picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-56145-493-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2009
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