Together, girl and creature romp across wordless spreads, their fun wrapped in quietude, until they fall asleep cozily on an enormous fluffy forest creature. Add this to collections about grief and loss a parent has gone missing and a child's imagination saves her, in this poetic book of love and healing.' -STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal 'A mysterious creature befriends a young girl and leads her to a magical realm in this curious but comforting first-person tale.

All of it unfolds in black and white ink drawings, giving the tale a timeless quality.

Something about her adventure with the little one has brought her peace. Readers will wonder about the mother, and the dreams of the child, but it hardly matters. Her next encounter? Her father shows up to hold her hand as they walk home together. After so much fun, the small girl sleeps, then wakes up, noting she has dreamed of her mother. One afternoon, she begins to follow the 'little one,' who takes her to a secret opening in her own home that leads to a night of play. A small Japanese girl narrates that she starts seeing a black blob of a creature, with a walleyed gaze, sitting here and there in the city scenes that are part of her walk to school. Each illustration in this beautiful book was created via a delicate copperplate etching by author-illustrator Kiyo Tanaka, lovingly crafted to depict a dream-like world full of friendship, where anything is possible.Ī Bank Street College of Education Best Book of 2022 'As is true of the best of Anthony Browne's many mysterious books, Tanaka's leaves out the very thing that most writers start with, and the result is this expressive, wide-eyed look at grief, presented with the help of an imaginary friend. There's even an enormous, cuddly creature, so soft and warm and perfect for napping and dreaming! Though silent and unnoticed by anyone else, the little one forms a beautiful friendship with the young girl in the space of an afternoon, showing her affection and care and sharing with her the fun and healing that comes out of imagination and play.

a magical attic that contains roots to hop over, trunks to hide in, vines to climb, branches to slide down. And then, the pair enter a pitch-black closet and close their eyes, opening them to reveal. It seems to be following her through town on her way back home, so, curious, she goes to say hello: 'Hello, little one, what are you doing here?' It's now her turn to follow the little one as it leads her to a garden and a cup of tea. Join the pair on an afternoon filled with tea and adventures, friendship and magic! One day, a young girl sees a mysterious little figure sitting on a wall. A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of 2022 On her way home, a young girl meets a little figure that only she can see.

The little one kiyo tanaka