Penny Harrison (text) and Hannah Sommerville (illustrator), The Little Things, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, January 2023, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781761211263
This heart-warming, lyrical tale is a gentle reminder of the abundance of things in the world that can nurture and sustain us. Not the big things but the small, simple moments that can be relished on any given day.
Harrison’s rhyming couplets offer a playful, reassuring rhythm, showcasing a child’s agency and self-expression through slices of life in nature, with family and through creativity. The joy in watching clouds for hours, finding life between the flowers. Secrets written in a book, treasures tucked inside a nook. Sommerville’s subdued colour palette and delicate style evoke a sense of nostalgia, inviting all of us to travel through the seasons, taking the time to delight in ‘the little things’.
A timeless, evocative story and important reminder to be present in each moment. A CBCA 2024 Notable Book (Early Childhood).
Reviewed by Maura Pierlot
