You're my Biggest Little Friend - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

I was immediately intrigued by the cover of this book - a hedgehog and a mouse watching a sunset, perched on a tree branch together! It's such a sweet image , especially combined with that title. Life is so tough when you're a kid (of any age) when you just want to "be bigger," to follow the big kids and do what they do. And friendships sometimes get strained when there's suddenly a third person in the mix and you feel even smaller and left out. This is a wonderful, heartfelt sequel exploring friendship, compassion, and self-confidence.

Book cover - with a mouse and hedgehog sitting on a tree branch watching the sunset.

You're My Biggest Little Friend

Author/illustrator: Ron van Maurik

Publisher: Clavis Publishing (2024)

Ages: 4-9

Fiction

Themes:

Friendship, kindness, confidence, size, compassion, and self-esteem

Synopsis:

A wonderful conversation starter about self-esteem, confidence, and friendship. For playful children aged 4 years and up.

You’re My Biggest Little Friend is a heartwarming tale that captivates both young and old, celebrating the beauty of embracing who you are. Perfect for children ages 4 years and up, this enchanting story follows the friendship between Hedgehog and Mouse as they embark on playful adventures together.

Hedgehog and Mouse are big friends. They love to play together all day long. But there's one thing that makes Mouse feel a little sad: while playing, he's reminded that he's actually really small compared to Hedgehog. Mouse begins to feel insecure about his size, especially after being called small by Hedgehog and Raccoon. Luckily, Mouse discovers, thanks to a series of unexpected adventures, that little mice can also be very big, in their hearts and in their deeds.

This delightful book is not only great for discussing the importance of playing together and being kind to one another but also serves as a wonderful conversation starter about self-esteem and self-confidence. The colorful illustrations and lively conversations between the characters make it perfect for engaging read-aloud sessions, captivating audiences of all ages. It’s perfect for teachers, librarians and family who want to teach little ones more about kindness and self-esteem.

You’re My Biggest Little Friend reminds readers that no matter how big or small you are, it's the size of your heart that truly counts. With its endearing storyline and uplifting message, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression on hearts and minds alike.

Opening lines:

"Hedgehog," Mouse says while they're staring at

the clouds together, " You're my biggest friend."

"And Mouse," Hedgehog says with

a smile, "you're my littlest friend."

Mouse frowns, "I'm not that little, am I?"

What I LOVED about this book:

I love this opening spread! The movement of the water, the sparkle of the light, and the almost magical woodsy feeling with two friends lying back and contemplating big mysteries, reminds me a little of Pooh & Piglet.

Internal spread - on the left, Hedgehog and Mouse lie on the grass, under a tree and sparkling rays of sunshine. On the right, a stream splashes over rocks.

Text &. Image © Ron van Maurik, 2024.

Instead of answering Mouses question, Hedgehog instigates a game of splashing in the river. And the conversation is forgotten. When Racoon tosses a pinecone across the river hollering, "Catch, Hedgehog," a new game of catch ensues. When Mouse complains that they were playing, Hedgehog tosses Mouse the pinecone. Poor Mouse, the pinecone is bigger than his head! The bonk Mouse gets is so hard it radiates out his tail! The feeling of not being "too small" for things is a theme that will resonate with kids (and maybe some adults 😊).

Internal spread- on the left Mouse is hit on the head by a big pinecone. On the right, Hedgehog stands behind Mouse and the pinecone settles a ways down the hill.

Maybe you are a tad too small for this game," Hedgehog suggests.

But Mouse shakes his head, stands tall, and firmly states, "I'm not small."

Dazed, frustrated, and jealous, Mouse wanders off to prove he's not "too small." Ron van Maurik does a spectacular job of "torturing" Mouse - making the character face their assumptions, fears, and accept 'reality.' As a first step, Mouse leaps "across" the stream, just like a big . . . (oops).

Internal spread - on the left, Mouse springs into the air, trying to jump the stream. On the right, Mouse splashes into the stream short of the opposite bank.

He gets stepped on by Deer and then comes nose to nose with Fox. Kicking off a series of events where Mouse discovers he's . . . Using masterful combinations of colorful, active, full-page spreads and poignant spot illustrations, Ron van Maurik creates a touching friendship, adventure story celebrating the wonder within each of us. This is a stunning sequel picture book, with more Hedgehog and Mouse adventures to come!

Resources:

make your own Hedgehog and Mouse and create your own adventures for these friends.
create a list, or draw pictures, of a couple of special things about yourself. Like Mouse, how do these help you be nice, brave, kind, and strong?

have you ever said something to a friend you wish you hadn't? Can you write your solution(s) as a set of instructions or draw a picture of how you fixed things?

If you missed my interview with Ron van Maurik and his sneak peeks at more Hedgehog and Mouse books on Monday, find it (here).

This post is part of a series of blog posts by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.