Just So Stories

Hachette

Imprint: Lothian Children’s Books

MARCH 2024 | 9780734422668 | RRP $24.99

There are many of us, young as well as old, who love miniatures. I once had a dollhouse as an adult and was, piece by piece, acquiring miniature ‘antiques’ to furnish it. You only need to look at the feeding frenzy the supermarket miniatures create to know this is so. And certainly, on various displays in my libraries ‘tiny’ things e.g., a fairy doorbell have mysteriously vanished, most probably in someone’s equally tiny pocket. So all in all, this will not only be a valuable picture book to share with your Smalls to begin their understanding of ethics, but one with which they will fully connect.

James loves tiny things and collects them. In fact, his collection is quite impressive. When his Year 1 class goes to the museum on an excursion, he is smitten by the tiny triceratops in the gift shop but has no money to spend. Even though he knows perfectly well he is doing the wrong thing, he slips the little figurine into his pocket.

But the teensy dinosaur doesn’t stay so small, comfortably in his pocket, and by the time James has got home, it has grown so big he has to hide it in his wardrobe. Then it outgrows that until it is eventually the size of his bedroom, and that’s when his parents discover what has happened.

There’s no yelling, no punishment but there is intense disappointment and back the dinosaur goes to the museum, where it shrinks back to its real size. But with some empathic understanding James’ mum suggests he earn the money to acquire the dinosaur honestly.

James’ achievement in saving up the required amount is a great lesson for kiddos in itself, but more importantly, that concept of guilt becoming a huge – sometimes, insurmountable – problem is a valuable life concept for children to grasp.

While the message is very clear, and even your Preppies will fully take hold of the theme and intent, it is not so pointed as to be didactic, which is a blessing to my mind.

A cautionary tale is all well and good but when it hits one over the head with a mallet, really sets up a resistance in my experience. This is expressed in a gentle way, with illustrations that perfectly capture the mood, especially James’ emotions, and will easily springboard into a very valuable learning episode for your children.

I would easily give it a 4 🦖🦖🦖🦖 rating for kiddos from Prep to about Year 2.