Tiny

Tiny by Laura Stitzel (Walker Books) PB RRP $25.99 ISBN 9781760658571

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Laura Stitzel is an author, illustrator and animator from Melbourne. She has illustrated books for Penguin Random House, Scholastic, Hinkler Books and Affirm Press. She is the author/illustrator of two picture books - Mr Mo Starts to Grow (Hachette) and Moonlight Mums (Penguin). 

Laura created the background art and character animation for programs such as the Emmy Award winning Peg + Cat, Disney’s Space Chickens in Space, Warner Bros’ Ginger Snaps and the world’s longest running children’s series, Arthur. Who doesn’t love Arthur?

Tiny tells the story of a little girl who is very small in a big world. She dreams of being big but instead, she repeatedly shrinks, until she eventually becomes the size of a dot. Magically, she discovers that viewing things from such a tiny perspective is wondrous and enchanting. Being small is a superpower.

Laura Stitzel’s words tap into what it’s like to be a child in this big world. She writes from a childlike perspective. The opening page’s wording is concise and powerful. I’m Tiny. I’m really small. The world is so big. The people are tall.  The problem is introduced immediately. Wherever I go, at home or in town, nobody sees me. They never look down. This is how a small child can feel in this big, busy world.

This story connects well to child feelings. It is emotive and most children dream to be bigger.  The story voice is direct, and the page turns work well. Instead of Tiny getting bigger she gets smaller, I love this. It is unexpected and reminds me of the movie Honey I Shrunk the Kids. The child is called to imagine and wonder and see the world through extra tiny eyes. The verbs delight and questioning is used throughout the narrative. What if I shrank even smaller again? The narrative has childlike thoughts, and Stitzel combines words in sentences beautifully. I’d land in a tickle and sail away, bouncing around in the splashes and spray. The word patterning and word play is creative. The ending pulls on heart strings. Aw.

Stitzel’s illustrations are joyful, detailed, and whimsical — the kind that make little hearts sing. They have a delightful energy as they playfully dance creatively across every page. The use of perspective is wondrous and lets a reader feel small and see magical tiny things and be immersed in this story world.  The dream like quality makes this book feel timeless and beautiful. The colour palate is soft yet bright like pink and green.

Tiny is a picture book that has appeal to children aged 4-6 years old. It delights and lets small children know they can see things that big people miss. You see, small things are rarely seen when you are big, and this is what this story brilliantly showcases. It’s magical being a child and seeing the world through small eyes. Why would you want to be bigger?