A Little Courage

In a story reminiscent of The Borrowers, a diminutive girl finds endless opportunities for play in a house that towers around her. Comfortable with her surroundings, she watches the sunrise atop a large leaf, runs on a roll of toilet paper, collects “little treasures” in a shallow lid, and takes cooling dips in a water glass “on the warmer days.” She has rule over her tiny kingdom... until an ominous shadow appears. “Must I hide now forever?” she wonders, wide-eyed under a bookcase. The tiny adventurer plucks up, however, “with a little courage”—and the fearsome shadow turns out to be a friendly cat. After establishing trust, they become inseparable friends, together moving through daily rituals. Detailed illustrations in colored-pencil textures bring readers down to size, pulling them into the girl’s pastel-hued, wonder-filled world as it expands, through her bravery, to embrace a life beyond solitude. Ages 4–8. [em](Feb.) [/em]