02/20/4
Caldecott Honor–winner Brosgol brings her marvelous story-making perspective down to the forest floor, home to a band of diminutive creatures with acorn caps, red noses, full-body beards, and stick arms and legs. “Yes, we are small,” the Little Guys explain, ranged on the shore of their tiny island. “But there are a lot of us.” At first, they represent a paragon of cooperative labor. They gather food, standing atop each other to scavenge berries from a shrub (“We can find enough food for all of us”) and burrowing into a fox’s winter stores (“Nothing stops the Little Guys!”). They’re actually quite obnoxious, as readers will start to realize (“None for you! All for us!”). After they hoard a forest’s worth of resources and prepare to snatch a single final berry from the mouth of a songbird, they suffer a noisy downfall. Brosgol introduces an unexpected idea—sometimes, collective power makes bullies out of pipsqueaks—and adds a clever, collaborative resolution. The Little Guys’ faces are all beard, so the story’s emotional arc is conveyed by other creatures’ reactions, along with action lines and big, comic-style lettering. Expertly paced and very funny, this readaloud doesn’t go quite where readers think it will. Ages 3–7. (Apr.)
What a fantastic message: not just teamwork, but actual community.” —New York Times
“[A] pointed exploration of the notion that collective action just becomes mob rule without a moral foundation.” —Booklist, starred review
“ There are several messages here: little ones can achieve a lot, much can be accomplished through teamwork, and, most important, a community is bolstered through sharing and kindness . . . A terrific and engaging read-aloud for early elementary students, and a great discussion starter.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“Brosgol introduces an unexpected idea and adds a clever, collaborative resolution . . . Expertly paced and very funny.” —Publishers Weekly
“With its action-filled double-page spreads . . . expert comedic timing; and the oddly endearing Little Guys, the story is well suited for read-alouds.” —Horn Book, starred review
“Brisk and clever . . . Oddly charming.” —Kirkus Reviews
“There’s a lesson for listeners that being little and adorable and resourceful doesn’t give you carte blanche to rule the world, but it’s okay if the audience is giggling too hard to catch it.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Caldecott Honor book Leave Me Alone!:
“Funny is hard; Brosgol makes it look easy.” —NPR, Best Books of 2016
“Both classic and ultracontemporary . . . especially for children who like to shout along.” —The New York Times Book Review
“So well-executed, it feels almost unfair that this is Brosgol’s first foray into picture books.” —The Huffington Post, Best Picture Books of 2016
“Hilariously mingles elements both folkloric and intergalactic.” —The Wall Street Journal
“Brosgol is a master.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“The fizzy collision of old-fashioned fairy tale elements with space-age physics is delightful.” —Publisher's Weekly, starred review
“Repetition and patterned storytelling ground the out-of-this-world elements for a thoroughly entertaining adventure.” —Horn Book
“Brosgol infuses her fairy tale–like story with a hefty dose of humor, thanks to her fantastic page turns and comedic timing . . . As cozy as a new sweater.” —Booklist
“With clever trips to the moon and through worm holes, Vera Brosgol brings a fresh new perspective to the world of children's books.” —Dan Santat, The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend
“A cranky, funny, skillful, gentle, beautiful beautiful book.” —Jon Klassen, I Want My Hat Back
★ 04/01/2019
PreS-Gr 2—The little guys are mighty, mostly because there are many of them and they work well together. In their determination to prove that they can fend for themselves, they are sometimes discourteous to those with whom they share the forest. Pillaging dens and conquering large animals, the little guys think they have it all, but do they really? Set in a forest teeming with wildlife, this picture book features tiny cartoon creatures with acorn caps who wreak havoc wherever they go while making their collective stronger. There are several messages here: little ones can achieve a lot, much can be accomplished through teamwork, and, most important, a community is bolstered through sharing and kindness. Brosgol's artwork is lively, with detailed facial expressions. The action moves quickly, and the buildup is exciting. Young readers will easily identify the problems in the story and will be contented by the climax and solution. While there is power in numbers, it is better to use that strength for good rather than selfish gain. VERDICT A terrific and engaging read-aloud for early elementary students, and a great discussion starter.—Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE
2019-01-28
Tiny creatures rampage through a forest collecting food for themselves only to discover that kindness and cooperation trump greed.
The plot is simple and the first-person-plural narrative brisk and clever. Irony is evident immediately as the title characters claim to be "the strongest guys in the whole forest" but are shown as tiny dots on a small hummock in a pond. After navigating the pond (and bragging about it) they tromp through the forest, where they pick berries, steal from a variety of animals, and return to their island to pile their loot. All is well until they realize that a little red bird has managed to retain a single berry, which proves to be their downfall (literally). Readers and listeners may wonder why the other animals then offer assistance, but their actions result in a change of heart for the little guys. Brosgol's cartoon-style illustrations, which appear to have been created in watercolor and black pen, infuse enormous personality into her quirky characters. Acorn caps rest atop pale bodies with scalloped bottoms and stick arms and legs. Each has a single orange semicircle below their acorn cap that might be a nose. Forest animals and setting, meanwhile, are recognizably rendered, though exaggerated expressions add to the humor.
Despite (or because of?) their hubris, these little guys are oddly charming and seem likely to amuse young listeners while providing an object lesson about community and collaboration. (Picture book. 5-8)
