The Little Island: (Caldecott Medal Winner) (Dell Picture Yearling) Paperback – Picture Book, October 1, 1993

Brown’s poetic voice, her perfect rhythm, lures us into a new world, matched perfectly by the apposing black and white and colored illustrations on each spread. Warming up into the book I was caught up in the descriptions and the seasonal changes only to be surprised half-way through with introductions to the island and a cat as actual characters! I was taken aback, but at the same time, it was so refreshing. As a #picturebook author we’re encouraged to introduce our main characters and their dilemma early on in our stories - first sentence or two in fact. It did jog me out of the almost stem-like quality of the book and made me pause as I dived into a whole new angle. And then, within a few pages the cat was gone and the seasons continued and life for the island carried on as it did in the first half of the book. How interesting! So different to the way picture books read today. And yet, the story lingers in my mind and I’m tickled (like the “tickly pear tree” - which I don’t understand at all) at the little “secrets” I have taken away from this story...

This is my two year old son’s all-time favorite book. We’ve had it for about a year, and he still requests it. I have found that almost all children’s books by Margaret Wise Brown are far superior in writing and illustrations (though she is not the illustrator). It reads almost like a poem that doesn’t rhyme, and the story is sweet. I have no idea why a little boy would be so fascinated with an island that goes through the seasons, the animals and plants, and the kitten who talks to the island about the land and sea, but he is. Every page is interesting in its own way; he loves to bark like a seal and find the seal babies, to show me all the spiders in their webs, and to hide his face when I’m reading about the big storm. I just love the part about the fish and the kitten talking about the secret of the island. What a concept for kids! This book is truely a treasure.

Even if this book had no words, I would still love it, because the illustrations are that brilliant!!~~The wording is quite clever.This story tells about a little island, and the changing seasons it lives through.This island is home to many creatures, and serves many, many purposes.Lobsters crawl underneath the island to find dark hiding places.Seals come to have and raise babies.Birds come to build nests and lay eggs.In spring, flowers bloom on this little island. In summer, strawberries ripen.One day, a family on a boat stops at the island for an afternoon picnic. With them, there is a black kitty.The kitty observes:"My what a small island. You are as small as big is big."The island converses with this kitty, and teaches him that everything is a wonderful part of this world, and equally unique and important.The kitty learns a secret from a fish- 'All land is one land under the sea'.In autumn, the pears ripen on the lone pear tree on the island, and finally winter comes with snow.It was good to be a little island. A part of the world, and a world of its own.

I will only post a short review to second all the thoughtful descriptions others have provided. I wanted to raise my daughter with a love and appreciation of nature and I read this book to her before she was even born. It took awhile for her to be interested in it, but now at 16 months she is continually asking me to read this book. She currently loves all the pictures of the animals and flowers, etc. and is particularly keen on the kitten who comes to visit the island. I, on the other hand, never tire of reading it to her because of the calming, beautiful story that depicts a little island as it goes through the changing seasons and teaches us that all of nature is connected. I hope in time she too will appreciate the deeper meaning in this book. I suspect we will treasure this book for a long time and so will other parents and children who share a love of the natural world!

Today was the first I ever read this book even though it has been on my shelf for months. It was very cute, but seemed kind of random to me.

Birthday gift for grandson and "secret reader" selection for granddaughter's pre-school class.

Used to read this to my son and daughter when they were little. Bought to read to my grandsons. Great story.

This is a children's book based on historic aspects of lighthouses and the role of the lighthouse keeper. The back of the book includes historical info and references for furthur learning that would be of interest to parents, teachers and older children who want more info. The story can be read to younger children (under 7) and be read by older children who read independently (7 or 8 and up.)