Small World

5/17/2019

There is a fascination with all things miniature. Note the number is bite-sized desserts on menu offerings. Consider the Tiny Kitchen phenomena and other popular videos featuring petite animals and objects. Yes. Teeny-tiny is having its moment. Two recently published picture books explore the world of the seemingly small and insignificant.

The Little Guys by Vera Brosgol

Award-winning author/illustrator Vera Brosgol has a unique approach to this concept. The Little Guys are acorns, as observed from a variety of perspectives. The story begins with an aerial view of an island with several microscopic dots. Subsequent pages reveal that the tiny specks are a cluster of acorns.

These nuts may be diminutive in appearance, but they have a mega-sized attitude. They proudly proclaim, as a collective force, they wield considerable power. They are fearless: scaling heights, moving what should be immovable, taking what they need. They are unstoppable.

But this is a cautionary tale. So when greed and arrogance cause the collapse of their mighty tower, the acorns emerge from the murky water and rethink. These Little Guys realize that their collective strength can be used to assist others. Lesson learned.
Nuts steal the show. Who knew that acorns could be so expressive? Book design is stellar. Graduated changes in font size, a well- positioned gatefold, thoughtful white space and careful text placement add up to a picture book that will delight a wide audience.

Copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: April 2, 2019 Publisher: Roaring Brook Press ISBN: 978-1626724426

Little Things by Nick Dyer ill by Kelly Pousette

Little things are everywhere, but they’re never just little things.

Nick Dyer celebrates the often the overlooked and under-appreciated. Meet a girl, exploring her world and marveling at small things that can potentially have long-lasting ramifications.

Readers will observe that initial pages present a background that is slightly blurry.

Progressing through the next few pages, this girl begins to examine her world closely. As this occurs, background becomes sharply focused and intricately detailed. Soon she has a pair of binoculars and a flashlight. She finds fascinating discoveries as she takes time to explore her environment,

Looking all around, she expands her search to include looking underwater as well as gazing up to the skies.

Pousette's mixed media illustrations have a dimensional quality. Collages of cut paper lacy-leaf trees, geese in flight, and tall blooms seem to pop off the page. A gatefold featuring fawns resting under a tree with a couple of bird nests transitions into mature deer standing under a massive tree that shelters several types of animals.

The beauty of Little Things is in the details.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: March 15, 2019 Publisher: Peter Pauper Press, Inc. ISBN: 978-1441328595