A Small Thing . . . but Big by Tony Johnston (review)

“Lizzie went to the park,” where she cavorts under the watchful eye of her mother, and where she’s alarmed to encounter a dog. A concerned Lizzie nervously asks the dog’s owner questions about fuzzy Cecile (“Does she bark?”; “Does she bite?”), and the old man answers reassuringly. Lizzie grows bolder inch by inch, mastering her fears to pat Cecile (“A small thing, but big,” says the old man appreciatively), join the old man and Cecile as they stroll, and then finally take Cecile for a walk all on her own. The ever-skilled picture-book storyteller Johnston makes this a gentle and rhythmic tale about the importance of small steps forward and the triumph of overcoming initial unease; it’s a nice touch that the old man at the end confesses that just as Lizzie used to be afraid of dogs, he was afraid of children. Digital art combines crayony linework with slightly mottled planes of color that suggest screen or block printing to create an airy and verdant park setting. Pigtailed Lizzie has a winsomeness similar LeUyen Pham’s characters; probably more importantly to viewers, blue-gray Cecile is friendly and inviting without being overbearing. Use this as an introduction to a pet visit or in a suite of wonderful books set in parks, along with Newman’s The Boys (BCCB 04/10) and Jenkins’ Water in the Park (BCCB 7/13).