The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Johnston, Tony

A Small Thing...but Big

40 pp. | Roaring Brook/Porter | October, 2016 | Trade ISBN 978-1-62672-256-9 $17.99

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Hadley Hooper. Lizzie, playing happily by herself in a park, comes face-to-face with a small dog. She's hesitant, but the dog's dapper old man owner gently encourages her to join them on a walk (Mom waves permission from a bench). The story is told in adverb-filled text; in her light-toned relief-print illustrations, Hooper's attention to detail encourages viewers to notice both foreground and background activities.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016