The Little Books of the Little Brontës
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The inspiring true tale of young siblings who loved to make stories — and grew up to be among English literature's finest writers. A picture book for fans of Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein.
Many years ago, the four motherless children of the Brontë family — Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne — lived in a windswept house by the moors with their father. Although their lives were often filled with sadness and their world was only as large as the distance they could walk, their INNER worlds were bound only by their imaginations. Hungry for stories, these children devoured novels and poetry, history and fables. And with the gift of a group of toy soldiers, they were inspired to make their own stories, and their own tiny books . . . a passion that would last them a lifetime.
A moving and atmospheric story about the power of imagination, the joy of storytelling and the love of books, The Little Books of the Little Brontës will enchant both those who love these literary sisters and those who are learning about them for the first time. Includes an author's note, timeline of the Brontës' lives and a fun craft with instructions on creating your own little book.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In a deeply sensitive work, O'Leary (Gemma and the Giant Girl) and Smith (The Mermaid Moon) focus on the diminutive volumes that Charlotte, Anne, Emily, and Branwell Brontë made for each other as children living in austere circumstances. Readers gaze through the window of a parsonage on the moors as Charlotte makes a book for sister Anne on pages "the size of Anne's hand"—in this work, Anne's parents are wealthy, and everything "ends happily." Mention of the real-world deaths of the Brontës' mother and two older sisters is followed by an affirmation of those who remain: "their father, their aunt, and a housekeeper named Tabby. They have many pets. They have each other." The children read everything in the house, invent endless stories for one another, and create books just the right size for their toy soldiers. Mixed-media spreads in muted, autumnal shades visually contrast themes of inner creative fire and outer quiet, as in one spread that reveals dramatic shadows behind the nightgowned children playacting by lamplight. Intimate, thoughtful writing sets the little books in context, seeing them as a response to the family's isolation: "The books they wrote are tiny, but the worlds inside them are huge." Characters are portrayed with pale skin. Back matter concludes. Ages 5–9.
