So I have officially packed up all my books into milk crates and no longer have access to them until I move into my new place in September, therefore making this post waaaay shorter than usual. But last night the phrase “tiny books for tiny hands” kept rolling around in my head. It’s a concept I learned in my picturebook class last year and (apparently) it really stuck with me. In case it isn’t glaringly obvious, “tiny books for tiny hands” is the notion that books should be small enough to fit in the hands of a young child so as to make them more accessible and engaging–the child becomes more important to the story because s/he is the one in charge of turning the page. Boardbooks tend to be much smaller because babies tend to have the tiniest hands and many books (Eric Carle’s come to mind) are often reproduced in smaller versions to appeal to younger audiences.
I think one of the most notable set of small-ified books, however, is Maurice Sendak’s Nutshell Library. Weighing in at 6.4 ounces and measuring a mere 3.9 x 3 x 1.8 inches, the Nutshell Library contains four classic Sendak stories: ALLIGATORS ALL AROUND, CHICKEN SOUP WITH RICE, ONE WAS JOHNNY, and PIERRE. The books appeal so strongly to children because of size allows them to hold the books and turn the pages themselves without the aid of an adult. Beatrix Potter’s books have also been shrunken down: THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT, THE TALE OF MR. JEREMY FISHER, THE TALE OF TOM KITTEN and THE TALE OF JEMIMA PUDDLE-DUCK are available in a set that is only 4 inches tall and she has a Nursery Set available as well. These are, of course, good books to travel with not only because of their size but also because of the lessons within the books that children cannot seem to get enough of.
Anyone know of any other fun mini books?
Teeny-tiny-ingly yours,
Mel
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