The Littlest Drop

PreS-Gr 2–When a wildfire grows out of control, the animals all flee to the river, but the hummingbird knows she has to do something to save the eggs trapped in her nest. She takes a small beak full of water and drops it on the flames. The other animals see she’s exhausting herself as she flies back and forth, and when she tells the elephant she is doing what she can, the elephant fills her trunk to spray on the fire. Eventually all the animals join in until the fire is extinguished. Alper’s retelling of this common tale of the smallest among us inspiring a community to action trusts its young readers and doesn’t fall into didacticism. It also doesn’t shy away from how exhausting the work can be and how long it can take before change comes, making the ending that much more satisfying. However, what truly sets this apart is the artwork. Jerry Pinkney was originally slated to illustrate before he died; Brian Pinkney took the almost complete sketches to finished paintings. This bittersweet pairing results in wonderful, detailed full scenes that are filled out with large swirls of color emphasizing the constant movement of the hummingbird and the roiling flames of the fire.