There's No Such Thing as Little

February 2, 2015
Pham’s lush illustrations buoy this affirming volume, which reframes little things as powerful and valuable. Reframes quite literally: one half dollar–size die-cut is made in each spread, to encircle and transform an item. “A little light,” pictured as a glowing candle between a boy and girl, is revealed to be “a welcoming light,” a lighthouse beacon that guides the two children in their wave-tossed sailboat. The boy’s “little hand” becomes “a strong hand” he extends to connect a circle of diverse, dancing children. In each case, Pham (A Piece of Cake) replaces “little” with another evocative descriptor (brave, important, etc.) and moves from a sedate illustration of the two children against an unadorned background to an embellished, active spread. “A little line? No, an inspiring line,” she writes as a doodle on a blank canvas becomes part of an image featured in a gallery of famous works by the likes of Picasso, Degas, and Monet. Pham’s gentle illustrations exude warmth, while the peekaboo windows invite readers to turn the pages. Ages 3–7. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt.

January 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-A barefoot boy and girl discover that little things can be more significant than they seem. Using a small circular die-cut hole in alternating pictures, Pham asks simple questions and reveals the answer on the following spread. "A little light?" shows the children looking at a small candle, while the next illustration, captioned "No, a welcoming light," depicts that candle in the window of a lighthouse helping to guide a boat in a stormy sea. "A little hand" becomes "a strong hand" joined to other children playing a circle game. In the most poignant scene, "a little gift" of a flower from the boy to the girl develops into "a gift of love" when that flower is passed from one person to another, or in some cases, to a beloved animal. The overall cheerful mood of the book is enhanced by pictures of smiling multicultural children enjoying life's small pleasures. The brief text introduces words such as a "unique" snowflake, a "generous" tree, and an "inspiring" line. This sweet book can be enjoyed by children in a group setting or when shared one-on-one with someone special.-Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2015
Pham's latest relies on readers' first understanding "little" as a synonym for "trivial" or "unimportant" and then resisting this implication by seeing good, significant things in small packages. Unfortunately, the achievement of the charming digital artwork is undermined by the execution of the book's central idea, which establishes that littleness might be seen as problematic. A frontmatter page opens with a statement from a smiling child: "Everyone says I'm little. / I really don't agree. / If only they could see what I see / When I look at me," but this doesn't go far enough to explain why being perceived as little is something that needs correction. On ensuing pages, recto page die cuts provide glimpses of underlying reveals, as the first page questions the littleness (insignificance) of one thing, and the page-turn establishes its importance. "A little light?" for example, shows a candle in the first spread, its flame peeking through the die cut, but then the page-turn reveals "No, a welcoming light," with the candle now situated in a lighthouse guiding a ship. Ironically, this belies the book's very message, since the little thing (a candle) is revealed as a big thing (a lighthouse), which is a problem that dogs other spreads, too. There is such a thing as little, after all, and can't it be just right? (Picture book. 3-5)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 15, 2015
Preschool-G What child doesn't want to peek into and poke his or her fingers through a little hole? Turns out those little die-cut holes are the key to big ideas! As the pages turn, a candle glowing through the opening turns into the welcoming light of a lighthouse, or a little idea lightbulb turns into the gears of a complicated and fascinating World's Greatest Ice Cream Machine, or a little line becomes the inspired butterfly drawing in an art gallery. Every double-page spread, done in pen, ink, and watercolor, vibrates with bright hues, showing two happy, adventurous children enjoying their natural world and the beauty of shared experiences. At book's end, sweet-faced children from all over the globe give the gift of flowers and love to one another as they pass friendship on to others around the world. This book not only presents a fun visual-perceptions game but it also offers a natural springboard for some serendipitous discoveries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)