Common Core
STEAM
Graphic
Novel
High/Low
Chapter
Book
Large
Print
Series Tracker
Manga
Big
Book
Board
Book
Hot
Title
Adult
Language
Mature
Content
Ebook
Ebook
MUA (Multi User Access)
Light Novel
| Publisher's Hardcover ©2022 | -- |
Old age. Juvenile fiction.
Friendship. Juvenile fiction.
Loneliness. Juvenile fiction.
Dogs. Juvenile fiction.
Old age. Fiction.
Friendship. Fiction.
Loneliness. Fiction.
Dogs. Fiction.
The protagonist mourns his friendless status in this tale by two longtime Swedish collaborators.Originally published by R and S Books (1992), this version has a larger trim size and updated illustrations, although the diminutive man retains his tan coat, brown hat, and chubby cheeks. He is a lonely figure, sitting on his front steps, wishing for a companion. Dogs and old men are mean to him: "People thought he was too small and possibly a bit slow." He creates a sign advertising for a friend and waits patiently outside. On the 10th night, he awakens to find a dog nuzzling his hand. Lindgren and Eriksson slowly build interactions of mutual delight: playful roughhousing, bedtime arrangements (dog in bed; man in dresser drawer), shared meals. The bare trees of winter silhouetted against a gray sky yield to dancing flowers surrounded by a warm, green landscape. The dog's antics, e.g., peeing on the fence, will amuse young viewers, just as the sad moments will touch them. All is well (there is even payback to the bullies) until a little girl visits. Three is a perilous number in relationships, and the man flees to the forest, where "[h]is tears fell like pearls on the moss." When the man returns home to investigate, a joyful reunion ensues, and the trio figures out how to abide together. The man and the girl are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A sensitive, atmospheric story depicting the fragility and rewards of friendship. (Picture book. 4-7)
School Library Journal (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)PreS-Gr 3 To be fair, the tiny man is only really a bit short in this sweet and complicated story of learning to give and take, and to accept the size and space that love needs to grow properly. In an orderly house, the tiny man lives and is often in tears over his solitude. The world crushes him; there is a mean man who trips him, and a dog that belittles him, and so he sits on his front steps in sorrow, closer to despair, feeling ugly and hated. A large dog with a deliciously curved tail arrives with his cold nose, which he places in the tiny man's hand. Little by little, treat by treat, and walk by walk, they learn to understand each other. The dog saves the tiny man from the mean man and other irritations, until a darling little girl shows up, and all the tiny man's despair returns. Will he be too ugly to keep his new doggy friend? There are lessons upon lessons to unpeel in Lindgren's surprisingly opaque tale, and this is its grace. Aimed at SEL collections or not, Lindgren's use of an adult as the troubled protagonist gives this story a feeling of safety that every child will respond to. By making his first friend a neutral one, a dog, pity and judgement are removed. Eriksson's always delicate comic touches provide details to pore over, and her colors make the triumphant friendships at the end a celebration. VERDICT These are difficult things to navigate, but tender approaches and good will go a long way in a gratifying inclusion aimed for the friendship shelves.Kimberly Olson Fakih
Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)
A classic picture book from Sweden with a very happy ending about feeling lonely and finding friends. It is possible, after all, to have more than one friend!
There was once a tiny man. One day, at the first sign of Spring, he decided to pin a note to a tree that said FRIEND WANTED. Then he sat down on the step to wait.
After ten days, he woke to find a cold nose in his hand. Beside him was a big dog with a beautiful curve in its tail. The tiny man had made a friend at last.
They play and walk and laugh every day. But then the girl in the polka dot dress comes to the step. The little man watches as the dog put his soft muzzle into the girls hand and worries that he has lost his only friend.
A touching picture book that explores learning how to make and share friends, feelings of being left out and discovering group dynamics. Packed full of emotion, this hardback picture book also teaches young children about self-esteem and empathy. A perfect story to read aloud with preschoolers or for young children just starting out at reading by themselves.
A much-loved classic childrens story in Sweden, this celebratory edition features new illustrations from Eva Eriksson, illustrator of the My Happy Life series. It has also been made into a successful theatre show.
Barbro Lindgren is a pioneering childrens author from Sweden. She has won many international awards, including the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
Eva Eriksson is one of the best-loved illustrators in Sweden, whose awards include the Astrid Lindgren prize and the August award.
Other books by Barbro Lindgren
Soda Pop
Maxs Wagon
Maxs Bath
Other books illustrated by Eva Eriksson
My Happy Life series
When Dad Showed Me the Universe
Praise for The Tale of the Tiny Man
"This book truly does deserve its 'classic' status."Betsy Bird, School Library Journal
"Audiences will be 'pleased as punch' over the man's turn in fortunes."Foreword Reviews
"A sensitive, atmospheric story depicting the fragility and rewards of friendship."Kirkus Reviews
"Though-provoking and evocative with atmospheric illustrations, this is a memorable picture book story of friendship, understanding and acceptance that will resonate with younger readers."School Reading List
"[C]an serve as a good starting point for a discussion with children about emotions relating to exclusion or inclusion."Five Books, Best Kids Books for 2022
And o! The drama! The pathos! The desolation! The joy! Its ALL THE FEELINGS. And if the children in your life ask you to read it to them over and over and then some more, dont be surprised." Seven Impossible Things
Praise for Soda Pop
"Theres a sublime sort of craziness to it that catches me unawares every time. Neither Soda Pop nor Mazarin nor Dartanyong speaks a single word of sense, but they will be my friends for life." Astrid Lindgren, author of Pippi Longstocking
Praise for My Happy Life series
If only all early chapter books were this beautifully conceived.The New York Times
Praise for When Dad Showed Me the Universe
Gentle humor pervades this father-son tale in the nicest way.Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review, Best International Picture Books of 2015