This is a book that really puts our place in the world into perspective. Simple words and lovely realistic illustrations show us that there will always be something larger than each of us, but also something smaller.
Big sky, small sun. Big sun, small Earth. For every single thing in the world that you can think of, there is always something larger looming in the distance. The book starts off with the big sky and works its way gradually down the line until we reach those items that are smaller than a flea. And what is smaller than a flea? A world of things too small to see - but just because we can't see them with the naked eye, doesn't mean they don't exist.
For bedtime at our house, we try to select books that are soothing and not overly wordy - this fits the bill perfectly. A nice, slow story line and realistic illustrations make this a most excellent nightly story. The watercolor paintings of artist Gillian Newland are so beautifully done that even the mouse and flea are fascinating. The written word forms a repeating pattern that is a soothing welcome as a wind-down read at the end of the night.
Aside from the book's beauty, I love that it gets children thinking about their place in the world. Post read, we had a fun time thinking of our own chains of big and small. This is one of those books that really gets the minds of small readers spinning, and that's always a good thing!
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