Sir Small and the Dragonfly

February 1, 1989
K-Gr 2 -A simple but clearly crafted text for the youngest readers. O'Connor's book, set in the town of Pee Wee, includes a gallant and brave knight; a damsel in distress; and a butcher, a baker, and a candlestick maker who are truly knaves. Concrete information about the size of the people and buildings ("the tallest person was no taller than a toothpick") is given in the story so that readers could easily construct a scene to scale. On every page, large, bright watercolor illustrations, detailed with pen, are immensely appealing. O'Brien paints from a variety of bird's eye perspectives. This visual treat combined with large type and a delightful story of heroine rescue will make this book popular with beginning readers. Gale W. Sherman, Pocatello Public Library, Idaho