Little Big Man

Johnson (Twins) and Brown (Bros) encapsulate the tension of being both a young child and an older sibling in this well-intentioned story about family responsibility. When Elijah welcomes his father home after a long day of waiting, the child is eager to take his new kite for a spin. But Elijah’s father has to cancel their weekend plans (“A new baby means extra work for everyone”), and he asks Elijah for help: “Think you can be my little big man tomorrow?” Elijah agrees, but a day without running, jumping, or yelling doesn’t sound like much fun, and the child’s best attempts all evening result in more messes than successes, rendered in onomatopoeic prose. Elijah does his best the next day as images show father and son taking on parallel work roles in different places: “They didn’t give up. They helped others. They cleaned up when they made a mess,” even if “being big was hard work.” And after Dad’s return, the whole family goes outside to play, flying a kite Elijah painstakingly constructed—an act that offers a balance and reliability of its own. Characters read as Black. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. Illustrator’s agent: Christy Ewers, CAT Agency. (May)