Leslie Patricelli: BIG Little

Hello all parents and grandparents of toddlers, as well as teachers, and librarians!

Joan Holub and I are psyched to begin readertotz together. We each will be posting every other week about an infant-toddler book in board, novelty, and interactive formats. We'll also throw a few extra blogs in occasionally. Watch for author and illustrator interviews and the highlighted book of the month entry for the older sibling.

We hope you enjoy the monthly community service project in the sidebar, and the playlist which will be updated periodically. Hats off to our sister site readergirlz. Nobody does it better!

So here's a warm welcome to readertotz and let the blogging begin!

Our first feature is Leslie Patricelli's board book:



I'm so proud that this is our first book review at readertotz. Leslie's bald baby character, clad only in a diaper, is a spirited, endearing figure. Join baby as he demonstrates opposites in BIG Little with humor and enthusiasm.

Leslie's graphic, bold colors and thick black lines combine to create an energetic delight. Her layers of colors build rich depth in her flat paintings. I especially appreciate her hand lettering which brings a cohesiveness to the entire layout.

Leslie's humor will be appreciated by totz and adults.

"Ladies are BIG.
Ladybugs are little."

Each comparison she has chosen to illustrate big and little are things dear to a toddler's life: dandelions, puddles, trikes, and of course babies themselves.

Be prepared to be charmed from the first spread:

"Heads are BIG.
Toes are little."

to the last:

"The moon is BIG.
My night-light is little."

Who can resist smiling at baby's square nose, wiggling toes, and pursed lips as he blows out his cupcake candle?

Insider Info:

I can share that Leslie and I first took an amazing picture book class together about ten years ago under Keith Baker and Laura Kvasnosky. Leslie and I sat next to each other as she wrote dandelion poems, and I wrote a book about squirrels. As critique partners a few years later, I had the pleasure of seeing her baby board books in dummy form. Margaret Chodos Irvine and I knew these would bring joy to many. Needless to say, we were right! Woohoo! Here's a recent photo of me and Leslie.


As a side note, Joan and I are author/illustrators, and we will review and celebrate books of authors we don't know and of those we do, dare I even say, our friends? The industry is not that large, and we refuse to overlook the best of the best, because of a relationship. Our aim is to bring great infant-toddler books to you. So enjoy!

Here's to Leslie Patricelli's board book BIG Little.
Candlewick, 2003
* Click on the cover to purchase from Powells.

Lorie Ann Grover ~author/illustrator