Having a 2 year old in your home who likes books almost guarantees that you will read the same stories over and over. And over. And over. I can pretty much predict that when my daughter asks for a book to be read to her, it will be one of the following:
I Love You Stinky Face
Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar?
Poems to Read to the Very Young
Elmo and Friends Seek and Find
Mr. Brown Can Do It
Aside from the poems (and Mr. Brown, because I love reading that one aloud), I am always relieved when it is something (ANYTHING!) else. This one particular day, I was not only relieved, but also completely surprised by how much I liked the new book she brought to me…a yard sale find, no less! I didn’t even mind reading it six times in a row. It was that much fun.
Not only are David T. Wetzel’s illustrations in The King of Little Things beautiful and full of fun details, but the composition of the story itself is a delight. Author Bill Lepp has crafted a fetching fairytale. It’s got rhymes, alliteration, brilliant (yet not distracting) adjectives and adverbs and interesting words to help expand little vocabularies. As an added bonus, there are pictures in the front and back covers that send you back through the story to find where they were hidden within the pages. (And these are not your ordinary hidden pictures…no, we’re talking about looking for a fez, a lute, a set of dentures.) We sat and looked at it for a long time and even the big kids nonchalantly inched closer to be a part of the experience. Shhh, don’t tell.
As you could probably figure out from the title, The King of Little Things, the point is that little things matter. Simple as that. But what a great message for kids and grownups alike. I hope you give this one a read. It won’t be time wasted.
Reading to a child is no little thing.
- Different, by Sally and Nathan Clarkson - February 1, 2017
- Well Done, You Can Do Better: The Lifegiving Home by Sally & Sarah Clarkson - February 3, 2016
- Read It To Me Again: The King of Little Things - November 19, 2014
Oooh, I wanna read this.
I think you’ll love it. Make sure you do the voices, Helena!
me too!
This book looks lovely.
I love David Wetzel! We’re mostly familiar with him from Babybug magazine. I’m going to go find this one. Thanks for the recommendation!
Ooh, I’ll look at the library this afternoon. Always happy for a good book recommendation!
Oooh, good to know. I’m going to have to search this one out.
I picked the book up at the library this afternoon and read it to my four-year-old twins. At the end, they both said, “Read it again.” 🙂
Glad to hear it is so well received!…even if someone else saw fit to yard sale it.