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Sunday, March 10, 2019

The Little Guys, by Vera Brosgol. Roaring Brook Press, Macmillan. Raincoast. 2019. $23.50 ages 4 and up

"We can lift things that weigh
more than we do.
No sweat for the Little Guys.

We can climb the tallest tree
there is.

Easy peasy for the Little Guys."

Love these tiny creatures - full of bravado, and not afraid to sound like bullies. They profess to be 'the strongest guys in the whole forest'. They might be right! There are a lot of them, and they do not lack tenacity. Using leaves as their transport across the pond, and sticking together, hand-in-hand, they proceed to find the food they need to keep them hale and hearty.

On the way, they create chaos for other forest dwellers, and they do not care. They roll a family of chipmunks from their log, a mama owl from her nest, a fox from its burrow, and dump a brown bear into its fishing lake, taking all of their food as they go about piling up a stash that requires a turn of the book to the horizontal. They may be small, but they are MIGHTY!

Stealing a berry from the beak of a tiny bird is the last straw, and their greed does them in. Who will help them?

Kids will giggle at the first person narrative, watching these wee creatures stomping their way through the forest without fear. They might also be surprised at the generosity of the many forest creatures who have lost so much, when the tide turns, and it does turn. And, their hearts will lighten to know that perhaps the Little Guys have learned an important lesson.

Vera Brosgol has created a warmhearted tale that surprises - with tiny, bearded characters whose actions clearly concern the animals who share their forest home. It is perfect for reading aloud with little ones, and offers opportunity for discussion about community and working together for the good of all.

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