Little Wonder

by Claire Keane (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

I Wish You More meets What the Road Said, but with Claire Keane's uniquely gorgeous artistic twist. Told as an underwater fantasy, a child is encouraged to be adventurous and proud while being delighted by fantastical marine creatures as he learns that his world is boundless.

A mama's wishes for her brave Little Wonder tell a tale as old as time in a whole new world perfect for new graduates, gift-givers, and anyone who wants to share a splash of courage with a loved one.

Wake up, Little Wonder! The whole wide world awaits you!

A love letter from a mother to her child accompanies him on a journey of unbelievable fantasies. It's a day full of breathtaking adventures, exciting twists and turns, and unexpected friends. With an imagination stronger than the tide and a mama's love deeper than the ocean, Little Wonder can do anything he believes he can.

And he will!

The positive messaging of this book, its gorgeous marine setting, and the gentle, reassuring narration will resonate with parents, grandparents, and children alike, with the universal appeal of undersea adventures setting all imaginations on fire. Adults will be attracted to the book's encouragement of open-mindedness and determination in the face of uncertainty, and kids will love the lush illustrations and call to fantastical adventures.

A BOOK FOR EVERY KIND OF KID: This book will appeal to young readers who love underwater worlds, fantasy and adventure.

THE PERFECT GIFT FOR BABY SHOWERS AND GRADUATIONS: Like The Wonderful Things You Will Be but set at sea, this book is the perfect baby shower gift, or preschool or kindergarten graduation present!

TIMELY, REASSURING MESSAGE: This sweet story offers an inspiring, reassuring message: we can choose to meet new experiences with flexibility and grit. Young readers will be encouraged to embrace new challenges.

A GREAT READ-ALOUD: The positive messages, the gorgeous underwater setting, and the calm, soothing narration will spark imagination and enthrall children at story-time and read-aloud events.

YOU ALREADY LOVE CLAIRE KEANE! If you loved Enchanted, Tangled, or Frozen, you've been admiring Claire Keane's work for years. Her family is full of artists—including her grandfather Bil Keane, the creator of Family Circus—and she spent many years in the animation world before becoming an illustrator.

AMAZING ART FOR LOVERS OF THE SEA: The art gorgeously captures ocean-floor environments, depicts sea creatures both mythic and real, and evokes the truly unknown, unexplored nature of the sea that makes underwater settings so ripe for adventures and possibilities.

Perfect for:

• Parents, Caregivers, Grandparents
• Educators & Librarians
• Kids who love books set underwater

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781797208121
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	03/29/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	373,009
Product dimensions:	10.70(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Claire Keane studied graphic design at École Supérieure d'Arts Graphiques in Paris, France, where she lived for eight years, until she moved to Los Angeles to work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. During her ten-year tenure there, she designed for Tangled, Frozen, Enchanted, and other films. In 2013, she left to dedicate her time to creating her own stories and to work on various book and animation collaborations at her studio in Venice Beach, California. Now, she is the author and illustrator of many books for kids, including Once Upon a Cloud, Love Is, and Why?

Editorial Reviews

03/14/2022

Keane imagines the voice of a faithful, caring adult following a youth on a splendid undersea adventure. As a brown-skinned child readies for the day in a bedroom awash in blues and lavenders, opening lines read, “There is no place too far/ no dream too grand—/ for an unstoppable/ Little Wonder like you.” Images blend underwater allure and ordinary life as the child packs a knapsack, downs a plateful of pancakes, and marches off into the wilds of the sea, accompanied by an ever-present cheering voice. The scary skeleton of a huge predator doesn’t stop them (“The night may be dark, but/ your courage is bright”), and the child pushes on into the gloom with their flashlight. When they return home, the voice is revealed as that of the child’s adult caregiver, who listens with loving attention as they recount the events of a day nourished by authentic support. Ages 3–5. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Keane’s whimsical pastel-inspired digital illustrations blend vibrant warm and cool colors, paired with curved fluid line work mirroring the watery movement of bubbles, seaweed, and fish drifting through Little Wonder’s imagination. It conjures memories of Keane’s work for Not Yeti, and blends beautifully with encouraging messages similar to those in Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Imaginative illustrations sure to enchant make this perfect for most collections.”-School Library Journal

“A dreamlike quality surrounds this gentle fantasy whose narrative thrust recalls Seuss’ All the Places You’ll Go (1990). . . . [T]he story brims with positivity, encourages children’s independence, and celebrates the bond between caregiver and child. . . . A reassuring daydream of a book that will foster a sense of life’s possibilities in children.”-Kirkus Reviews

“Keane imagines the voice of a faithful, caring adult following a youth on a splendid undersea adventure. . . Images blend underwater allure and ordinary life . . . When [the child] return[s] home, the voice is revealed as that of the child’s adult caregiver, who listens with loving attention as they recount the events of a day nourished by authentic support.”-Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

04/15/2022

PreS-Gr 1—Through sleepy stretches and bubbly yawns, a dark-skinned boy, Little Wonder, awakens to the tender morning greetings of his mother, who shares his skin color and black hair, and who narrates her son's day in their dreamlike, underwater world. Inspiration strikes Little Wonder to explore the vast ocean beyond the sights of his mother, and the lasting message following him on his journey is one of confidence: "I may be far away, but I'm always with you. The night may be dark, but your courage is bright." She explains that along the journey of life, Little Wonder will at times encounter darkness and fear, but his courage will shine bright and guide him ahead towards treasures and unexpected friends, represented by ocean creatures both mythical and real. Keane's whimsical pastel-inspired digital illustrations blend vibrant warm and cool colors, paired with curved fluid line work mirroring the watery movement of bubbles, seaweed, and fish drifting through Little Wonder's imagination. It conjures memories of Keane's work for Not Yeti, and blends beautifully with encouraging messages similar to those in Dr. Seuss's Oh, the Places You'll Go! VERDICT Imaginative illustrations sure to enchant make this perfect for most collections.—Emily Brush

School Library Journal

2021-12-27
“With every step you take, adventure skips along beside you.”

An adventurous young Black boy who lives in an underwater kingdom waves goodbye to his mother (also Black) as he sets out for a day of outdoor fun and exploration. While he is away, the second-person narrator, who is an extension of the boy’s mother, muses about all of the things that the boy—her “Little Wonder”—will see, do, and experience on his literal and metaphorical journeys through the world. He will make surprising discoveries, meet new friends, “find hidden pathways that lead to wonderful treasures,” and discover that “the world is boundless.” Confirming the mother’s vision, the illustrations show the boy following a treasure map that leads him to a dazzling banquet hall; befriending sea creatures and a friendly monster; and even visiting the terrestrial world. There are challenges and moments of fear, but the boy can be assured of what the mother-narrator promises: “I'm always with you,” and “I will forever be your biggest fan.” A dreamlike quality surrounds this gentle fantasy whose narrative thrust recalls Seuss’ All the Places You’ll Go (1990). Narrated in a tone reminiscent of greeting-card verse (of the better variety), the story brims with positivity, encourages children’s independence, and celebrates the bond between caregiver and child. The warm, digitally rendered illustrations show imaginative undersea landscapes that will draw young readers in.

A reassuring daydream of a book that will foster a sense of life’s possibilities in children. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews