BUMBLE BUGS AND ELEPHANTS
A Big and Little Book
by Margaret Wise Brown & illustrated by Clement Hurd
Reissued with new illustrations by Hurd’s son, Thacher, 68 years after its original appearance, this first collaboration between Brown and Hurd of Goodnight Moon fame pairs simple, cozy animal scenes done up in saturated colors with an open-ended series of Bigs and Littles: “There were two great big chickens / and some tiny little chickens [turn] There were some great big fish / and a lot of little fish.” The original was a spiral-bound board book; this new version on paper makes a bright show, capped by a pair of blank spreads captioned with an invitation to continue the rhythmic comparisons. It’s aged well, though the format will likely prove less durable. (Picture book. 3-5)