Dear Little One

PreS-Gr 3–Much like Laden and Castrillón’s other collaborations, this offers readers a gentle message about celebrating the world’s natural beauty in big and small ways. Colorful, truly stunning illustrations drive this story, as a young girl with pale skin and thick, dark curls navigates the world with her kerchief-clad dog in tow. Framed as a letter full of love and gratitude from Mother Nature, this book helps readers explore the water, flowers, trees, animals, deserts, mountains, and stars along with the main character. The book contains sparse text, limited to one or two sentences per page. Young readers will find the text accessible, though they will want to pause to appreciate the details in the artwork. It is also suitable for read-alouds in a classroom or story-hour setting. The book would pair nicely with units on Earth Day or environmentalism, as well as art and design. VERDICT Laden and Castrillón have paired to create a lush, visually stunning ode to the beauty of nature. This book is a recommended first purchase for school and public libraries, particularly where If I Had a Little Dream and Yellow Kayak circulate well.–Monisha Blair, Glasgow M. S., Alexandria, VA