Little Big Girl

September 12, 2016
Matisse is still small enough to need to ride in a car seat, but she never feels overwhelmed by her environment. She confidently skips across a big box store—with her very pregnant mother racing to keep up with her—and can carry a mountain of cushions across the living room to create an indoor trampoline. What better role model for a new baby brother? In language that repeatedly invokes ideas of big and little, Keane gracefully captures Matisse’s quiet understanding of her own growth. The book represents something of a “big” jump for Keane, too: whereas the artwork in 2015’s Once Upon a Cloud reflected her background as a visual development artist for films like Tangled and Frozen, her breezily inked vignettes of domestic life in this book nod more toward the work of her grandfather, Family Circus creator Bil Keane. (In one such scene, Matisse and baby bro get dressed by first emptying out the contents of a dresser.) With gentle and warm humor, Keane shows how several small moments can add up to a big epiphany. Ages 3–5. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

September 15, 2016
The granddaughter of syndicated cartoonist Bil Keane (The Family Circus) offers her own spin on family matters and new baby brothers. They say inspiration begins at home, and so Keane bases her latest book on her own immediate family. Matisse is "a little girl in a big world." Though the white preschooler goes with her parents to big places and can do big things, her teeth are small, her shoes are small, and even her eyes are small. That's all before a new baby brother puts everything in perspective. She's bigger than he is, and that means she has a big job to do, exploring the world with this new little person. With its familiar storyline, it's Keane's art that is the true star here. Mixing a retro, thick-lined look with hipster touches (Matisse's black lace-up boots, her mom's elegant black postpartum blouse), Keane's digital art best resembles pen, ink, and watercolor. Hints of the new baby's arrival are hidden in almost every picture before its sudden-to-Matisse appearance. Some new-baby books explore the fears and concerns of older siblings, but Keane's focuses instead on the joy and wonder of it all--sometimes straining credulity: the new baby never cries once, and diapers are delightful. Give to parents hoping to introduce kids to the joy and wonder of a new baby sibling with none of the mess. (Picture book. 3-6)

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December 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-Matisse is a child who often feels small in a very large world. From being a tiny sunbather on an enormous beach and dancing through the aisles of a big box baby store, the girl discovers that the arrival of her little brother suddenly gives her a very big job. She relishes reading to the baby, assisting her dad with diaper changes, and selecting the baby's wardrobe. The final spread shows the pair cloud-naming back on the shore where her self-evaluation began. Keane's digital illustrations rely on a retro palette and chunky black lines to chronicle the child's shifting perception of herself and her role as a big sister. The artwork is simple in composition but bold and expressive in its use of line and splashes of color. VERDICT A charming, child-focused celebration of becoming an older sibling. For one-on-one and small group sharing.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

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