The Littlest Family's Big Day

August 15, 2016
A family of tiny bears has settled into its new tree trunk home, and now it’s time to explore the forest neighborhood—or, as Martin (The Wonderful Things You Will Be) writes, “set out on a wander.” They find welcoming animal and elf families, butterfly fairies, and a river “deep and wild” that they skillfully navigate on skiffs made from leaves. Momentarily lost after a rainstorm, the bears are flown home by a huge, benevolent owl (“But when you are Lost, it is the best time to Found,” Martin opines) and feted with a forest block party on a foldout spread. Martin’s fans know what they like: pretty, decorative artwork with touches of magic, and characters who are unfailingly serene, whether they’re confronted by nature’s grandeur or an animal (the owl) that could easily eat them. But even skeptics will enjoy the cozy details of the bears’ world, including a mail carrier who’s an actual snail and an elf child so engrossed in a book that he doesn’t even look up as he waves good-bye. Ages 3–7. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Oct.)


This review has been corrected. A previous version listed the incorrect title.

A forest-dwelling family of tiny anthropomorphic bears and a baby fox go adventuring.Martin's exquisite acrylic-and-gouache illustrations will invite readers to pore over their details in order to take in the many wonders of the miniature, fantastic woodland setting. After setting up house behind a red door at the base of a tree, the littlest family ventures out for a walk, the baby fox in a walnut-shell stroller. (It's a mixed marriage, father bear a tawny brown, mother bear dark brown, and the children lighter shades of brown.) "Were they alone?" asks the text, printed in a type that approximates cursive. Readers who spy a fairy in the lower-left corner of the verso can anticipate the response at the page turn: "They were not! Not at all." They greet tiny bunnies, squirrels, birds, raccoons, a bug and a snail, and elves. The family's wanderings take them boating on leaves across waterways to a spot where they eat wild strawberries, through a storm and to shelter under a toadstool, and then they are lost. A benevolent owl helps them find the best place of all, "HOME," which is depicted in a gorgeous full-bleed double gatefold. The absence of rich characterization and a fully engaging story is mitigated by the illustrations' achievement: the art outshines the text throughout. Martin is an illustrator to watch. Looking closely at little details will offer readers big rewards. (Picture book. 3-8) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-A bear family find a home in the woods and set off on a "wander" through their new environment. Following the wind, they come upon a fairy-filled landscape. Using leaves as boats, they "wander on the water." When rain disrupts their picnic, they shelter under a mushroom until an owl arrives to carry them home. The text is printed in cursive, and while the prose is spare, Martin's word choice is unusual and delicious. Among other alliterative examples is her description of the family's day as a "wander " in the "wind" and the "wild" and the "warm." Even her use of the word wander for an outing, so similar to wonder, connotes an intent for the characters to really see the world around them. Long brushstrokes depict towering trees and grasses in the lovely illustrations, executed in a muted palette using acrylic on wood and gouache. They provide surprises on almost every page for readers to see and discuss (including the bears' different shades of fur). When viewed up close, the bears appear normal size. But when seen among huge trees, enormous grasses, leaves as big as boats, and fish as big as whales, they are tiny indeed. The owl that comes to their rescue fills the page as they strain to look up at it. Their flight home opens onto a striking gatefold that reprises the many creatures the family has encountered. VERDICT A delightful choice for storytime and small group sharing.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA

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