When I Was Small

PreS-K—Henry begs his mother for a story about when she was small. What ensues is less a story than a series of one-sentence vignettes about how small she was, literally. She swam in a birdbath, wore a daisy for a sun hat, used yarn as a jump rope, slept in a mitten, had a ladybug for a best friend, etc. It ends with her saying she couldn't wait to grow up and have a boy of her own so she could tell him stories in which they could be small together. On each spread, O'Leary's simple text finds the perfect accompaniment in Morstad's pictures. Using detailed inklike sketches accented with red, yellow, green, blue, etc., surrounded with plenty of white space, the artist has captured the whimsy and warmth inherent in the narrative. Ideal for small storytimes and individual sharing, this beautiful, simple story with engaging illustrations will charm children and adults alike.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH