Today’s book positively delights me and warms my heart. A book about a walk with a girl and her grandpa observing wonderful things in the world around them. Join in the search with Tiny, Perfect Things by M.H. Clark, illustrated by Madeline Kloepper, 2018.
What is it about?
“Today, we keep our eyes open
for tiny, perfect things.
And with that simple line, a little girl and her grandfather set out on the sidewalk and begin observing. They see things like a yellow leaf blown on the ground, a spider’s web, a snail, crows… small things and simple things. Things that they might not notice if they weren’t looking.
Their walk takes them past neighbors and into the setting sun. Their shadows and the moon and the cold signal the end of their walk. The girl is eager to share with her parents all the things they found. She hopes to go again tomorrow and can’t wait to see what they find.
Why I picked it
From the gentle rhyme and rhythm of the text to the loose texture of the illustrations, this book is charming and enchanting. I love the concept of collecting things with our eyes as we simply take a walk. What a lovely way to pass the time and children are so good at it! I love the things the two of them discover together and how the walk progresses. I love the relationship that is seen between them. And I love the ending, sharing their finds with her parents and her making pictures to capture them. Such a beautiful, peaceful, wonderful story.
The choice of characters is noteworthy. It is rare to have an older character be a main character in a picture book (though we are seeing it more and more!). It is also refreshing and lovely to see the diversity in the pair and ultimately in the family. It can be deduced that the grandfather probably lives with them, and the father is the one cooking. More representation and variation, a wider array of the many colors of the world, all working to make a bigger picture of how the world can work and is beautiful.
Who will love this?
This is a book most definitely for everyone! It is a quiet and sweet book. It is a thoughtful and endearing book. Young and old will delight in the idea, the structure, and the poetic feel of the text.
Bonus Gift Pairings
Nothing is needed with this book. Feet to walk and eyes to see are all the characters use. Pair it with a pair of binoculars to help see more details on walks. And maybe a little sketchbook and pen to make notes and drawings of what you see!
Come back tomorrow for the next book from this year in my 25 Days of Favorite New Picture Books countdown!
Three Books a Night 