Big and Little: A Story of Opposites

The initial spread in Pilgrim’s debut picture book conveys its opposites-based conceit while introducing its characters. Big is a large shaggy black dog; Little is a sweater-clad hound, wee and white. As a butterfly flits by the window and Little moves to follow, spreads reveal the duo’s differing navigational tacks executed in stroke-heavy art. Affable Big ambles “behind” Little when chasing the insect out into the yard; zippy Little struts “bold” into the forest while Big hangs back. When the two run into a fluffy brown bear, they are of a single mind (skedaddle!), even if one heads “left” and one “right” in their race from “here” to “there.” For these friends, there are lots of ways to move through the world, but there’s no need for opposites to oppose. Ages 3–6. [em](Apr.) [/em]