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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

A Small Surprise, written and illustrated by Louise Yates. Random House, 2009. $18.99 ages 4 and up


"I am small.
I am too small to
wipe my own nose.
I am too small to
ties my own shoes."

Rabbit is pretty small, but he wants to work at the circus and he wants to work with those big, burly beasts who make the show. The sign suggests that small animals looking for work will not be considered. Rabbit may be little on the outside but his inside knows no bounds. He'll show them!

The posters intimate that the circus animals are a force to be reckoned with...ferocious, strong and violent. Nothing could be further from the truth. Their demeanor is about timidity, compassion and support. As they help Rabbit with all those things he is too small to do for himself, they show themselves to be kind and generous.

As we watch the expressions on the animals' faces, we know that they want to help him prepare for his audition. They unfold his hobo bag to find a fake nose, big shoes and an umbrella. As they sort through it, he requires assistance with blowing his nose, tying his shoes and plying his trade. When he makes a mess with the pie that Gorilla offers, he also makes disappearing and reappearing an art! They are befuddled and then, incredulous.

We were right...he's small but size isn't everything! Kids will love poring over the animal filled pages and watching the changing facial expressions, the little jokes and the final surprise. This is another '10'. Aren't we lucky?

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