The Big Adventure of the Smalls

PreS-Gr 2–Sally and Paul Small live in Small Hall, a very large manor house. It’s an exciting place with its fountain and pool, numerous rooms, large furnishings, and frequent parties and other special events. Curiosity gets the better of the children one evening when the Grand Ball is being held in their home. As they secretly view the proceedings from their top-of-the-stairs vantage point, Paul drops his teddy bear among the guests. He, his sister, and their corgi go in search of the missing toy. The brother and sister appear to change from normal-size children into miniatures as they scout around the ballroom, the kitchen, the dining room, and a storage room. They attempt to hide from the guests under the lid of a large platter, inside the candelabras, and behind a vase. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are the highlight of this slight story and show the many activities of the children, who assume that no one has spotted their antics, and the smiling faces of the adults who have witnessed them all. Not the author’s best, this mild tale will most likely be shared once with no requested repeats.–Maryann H. Owen,  Racine Public Library,  WI