When Emily Was Small

April 1, 2020
An inspiring tale of renowned Canadian artist Emily Carr, set in her childhood. Basing her tale on a story written by Carr called "White Currants," Soloy uses poetic, onomatopoeic language to present a glimpse of the young Emily Carr and to reveal how Carr's childhood perception of the grandeur of the natural world inspired her artistic vision. It's an impressive feat to deliver a story about connection with the natural world as seen by an artistic eye without lapsing into overromanticized expression or illustration, but Soloy succeeds. Young Emily, exploring the yard outside her home one day, sits down and begins to experience the ebb, flow, and intimate nature of the natural world. Soloy anthropomorphizes this by introducing "Wild," an anthropomorphic wolflike creature who shows Emily (who calls herself "Small") the personal connection Emily has with the world. It's an altogether mystical yet accessibly grounded story. The illustrations deftly bring readers' focus to the infinite hues of green in both the light and shadow of nature as well as help to orchestrate the emotional impact of the text via placement and design. The whimsically rendered Emily captures the fierce eyebrows and stubborn determination that made the real Carr persevere in her artistic career despite years of art-world indifference. A concluding note gives brief biographical details about Carr, with an emphasis on her perseverance. An altogether accomplished presentation. (Picture book. 4-8)

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April 15, 2020
Grades K-2 In Soloy's imaginings, a young Emily Carr?who would later become a renowned Canadian artist?loves sneaking off behind her house and sitting among the overgrown garden. There she becomes Small, an adventurous version of herself who uses all of her senses to engage the wild world around her. When Wild arrives in the form of a friendly, vulpine creature, it leads her deeper into the wilderness. There are no sinister intentions; Wild is simply there to show Emily how to appreciate the natural world. As the pair marvel at the buzzing, glowing landscape, it's easy to imagine little Emily taking her observations to heart and infusing later work with a similar magic. The poetic text, inspired by Emily's actual writing in The Book of Small, has an enchanting, spirited quality about it. The illustrations, done in a combination of all sorts of media using brushes, scissors, glue sticks, and love, are rich with color and texture, creating a verdant world that young readers will revel in.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)