I love Stella, and how she sees the world ( )

Recommended by a patron

"When Stella was very, very small, she thought she was a turtle." Stella grows up a little - just enough to read stories to her little brother, Sam, and pretend with him.

"And once when Stella was very, very small, it snowed so much the whole world disappeared..." ( )

This book brings you into the mind of a young girl who struggles to see the world. Her constant complaining about being small allows the reader to see a different perspective of the world. She is tired of being the smallest person in her family but attempts to make the best of the situation. Her helplessness of over come when her mother has a new baby boy named Sam. Instead of being taught and helped by others, she is able to teach Sam everything that she has learned. I would read this book to a pre-k- Kindergarten class because I feel as though they will be able to relate to being the smallest or youngest person in their family. They will also be able to relate to having an actually new born baby in their family and learning how being the smallest teaches you lessons in the long run. ( )

What a charming story! How cute to see Stella's perspective of her world as a baby, and how it changes when she gets a little bigger and has a baby brother to show the ropes. ( )

Gay, Marie-Louise

When Stella Was Very, Very Small
2011. 32pp. $7.95 pbk. Groundwood Books. 978-1-5549-8103-8. Grades K-3

Stella used to be small, and there were certain things she could and could not do when she was younger. But this story explains how Stella can do new and different things now that she is older, like reading to her little brother Sam. Bright, cheery illustrations fill this positive tale about growing up. Small children can see themselves in little Stella and then in her little brother Sam, while older children can sympathize with the older-sibling role Stella takes when she is a few years older. Children who are worried or anxious about the challenges of growing older will find much to like in this upbeat tale, as things older children learn are framed as feasible and able to be accomplished. Recommended for families with siblings, or perhaps with siblings on the way. ( )