Pequeña Persona (Somos8)

by Luis Amavisca, Anna Font (Illustrator)

A tender story about being a child and growing up.

Una tierna historia que nos traslada al mundo infantil de Pequeña Persona y cómo se va transformando al crecer. 
 Little Person lives in an apartment in a big city. He sometimes feels very small but there is always a big person to comfort and reassure him. A poetic tribute to the wonder of childhood. Dedicated to all Little People, their skills and interests, and the paths that lead them to become Big People.
Un libro poético homenaje a la infancia. Dedicado a todas las Pequeñas Personas, a sus habilidades e intereses, y al camino que les llevará a convertirse en Grandes Personas.
No hay prisa en crecer, Pequeña Persona…

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

Published May 9, 2023

Reviews

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

A young boy lives in a city, which seems very big to him, but where he is cared for by his father and other adults who make him feel safe. He is shown out and about in the town, watching birds, and at home, reading books with his cat. While he is growing quickly and learning new things, he is no rush to become a Big Person too soon.

The artwork is brightly colored, and Little Person and his surroundings are rendered with simple lines and a rather flat perspective. There is not a lot of text, and what is there conveys its important message simply. This style reminded me a bit of the very round faced characters in 1980s picture books, like the work of Tamoi Gomi or the Little Miss and Little Mister characters.

The message of this is rather vague, so it's hard to select read alikes. The closet thing would probably be books about growing up, like Lee's The Happiest Tree or Applegate's Sometimes You Fly.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sentimental picture book is a 2.5, and it's sure to appeal to parents and caregivers more than little ones. The text describes how a child, Little Person, often feels very small compared to the tall buildings that surround him, As the story moves along, readers are told that this child has special abilities, loves books, and has an active imagination. He's also growing taller and growing up, but there is no need to be in a hurry to do so. Before he knows it, he will be Big Person. The affection between a father and his son are evident in every line and in the colorful, blocky illustrations, but most youngsters cannot wait to grow up and become big so the desire to slow down time seems more applicable to adults than the child in the story. It might work as a lap read or bedtime story, but it left me with a sort of meh feeling.

[Adrianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not a bad book, it just seems like a missed opportunity to do something better. The sparse text and big, bold pictures would've made it great for storytime, but... there's no story. It also seems like a missed opportunity to use gender neutral pronouns for the 'little person.'

[Steph]

Turn/Level: 2/2

Growing Up, Fathers, Being Young

A short and sweet description of a little person.