Little Humans

by Brandon Stanton

Little humans are helpful and playful, friendly and loving, flexible and resourceful.

They love their brothers and sisters, their moms and dads, and their friends.

Little humans are growing each day. They won't be little for long. Soon they will be... BIG!

Street photographer and storyteller extraordinaire Brandon Stanton is the creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling book Humans of New York as well as the wildly popular Humans of New York blog. To create Little Humans he combined some of his favorite children's photos with a heartwarming ode to little humans everywhere.

Genres: Picture Books, Photography, Nonfiction, Childrens, Art, Cultural, Coffee Table Books

36 pages, Hardcover

First published October 7, 2014

About the author

Brandon Stanton graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in History. He traded bonds in Chicago for three years, before losing his job and moving to New York. In November of 2010, he started the photography blog Humans of New York. Today HONY is followed by nearly one million people, and is the fastest growing Arts and Humanities page on Facebook.

Reviews

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of the HONY books, this is another book by the same author that you should never miss. In this book, he focuses on the little humans of NY and how they find the city fascinating.

I felt the text was not as good as the author's other books. But the photographs are all exceptional, making it a must-read book if you love New York City.

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[Mariah Roze · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has good photos, but not necessarily the type of photos that would keep a child amused. There wasn't much of a story and it is basically one long run on sentence. However, the children are really cute and I personally enjoyed looking at the fun photography.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The text is dumb. Ignore the text. The pictures are amazing. So many different children. All dressed up differently, showing different personalities, lifestyles, and religions. Very interesting and cool if you have or know a child who likes to 'people watch' and make up stories about other people's lives.

By the famous photographer Brandon Stanton, who does "Humans of New York." (blog and book) The photographs are of real life children doing real things. For this alone, it has value - no catalog models here!

Side note: There is a lot of Batman (costumes/make-up/t-shirts) in the book and I'm wondering if Batman is still going to be relevant in another 100 years or if this is going to seem weird.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of the Humans of New York (HONY) blog, and loved the book of the same name. This one however is not what I expected. It is a very thin collection of photos of my fave segment on the blog - Today in Microfashion, but with such forgettable, pat, one line text per page. Why? Maybe this was a fundraiser for some project, and I missed it. Maybe it a book targeted for the very, very young. Anyways, color me disappointed. Skip this one, and check out his blog instead.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great photos. Wished the photographer had interviewed those kids like he did for the grownups in Humans. Text? So-so.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so cute. I love the pictures of the little humans, and the fact that they didn't make the words rhyme.

[Katya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fabulous photos, dull text. The actual quotes on the HONY site are perfect--couldn't those have been incorporated? I think kids would happily read the interesting words spoken by other kids.

[Op · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photographer behind Humans of New York brings his talent to a children’s book. Using photographs taken on the streets of New York, this book speaks to the power of children. Children may fall down, but they get back up, because they are tough. But they still need love and friends. Children are helpful, playful and talented. They learn and grow. They also know how to ask for help when they need it. And they do so very much so well that they just might insist they are are not little after all, they are big!

On each and every page, Stanton celebrates urban culture and diversity. There are children of every color here, each with their own unique sense of style and and distinct personality that pops on the page. His photographs speak volumes beyond the text that does little more than support the gorgeous, hip photographs.

A dynamic and diverse book that can be enjoyed by the smallest of children. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

[Stella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Brandon Stanton's-Humans of New York blog, so there was no way I could pass up the children's edition. (especially as an elementary school counselor) I plan to keep this book in my classroom, so that my kiddos can be reminded that little humans can do big things, too!

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing photography, as is always the case with Humans of New York. But this would have been better without any text at all. It is not great writing, and all it does is distract from the great pictures.

[Jeffrey West · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the creator of Humans of New York, Little Humans is an inspirational book for children featuring kids from all over NYC. It almost reads like a commercial for PBS Kids, but in such a fun way.

[Alvina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kadang saya merasa perlu lebih sering bercermin kepada anak-anak atas kegigihan dan kemampuan mereka dalam berusaha. Semangat mereka yang pantang menyerah, kebebasan mereka berkespresi, kekeras kepala-an mereka saat berpendapat, dan cara mereka menaruh impian yang setinggi langit tanpa takut sakitnya jatuh.

Buku ini membuat saya mengingat lagi bahwa tak apa sesekali jatuh, tak apa sesekali dipeluk, tak apa sesekali meminta bantuan, karena begitulah cara kita berkembang.


Thank you, du.

[Rachel Kinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose Little Humans for the Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People book. This book is a collection of photographs taken of all different children doing all sorts of things. It is based off of the book Humans of New York. This book shows how everyone is different and how they can grow up to be whatever they dream of by being strong and working hard. The photographs are beautiful and really capture the emotions that were being felt while they were captured. This is a great story to inspire children to stay tough and fight for what they want. This also shows that anyone can be anything. There are quite a few pictures of children with their parents playing with them, helping them, fixing things which also shows that our family's are our biggest supporters.

[Rach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been following Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York blog for a while now, and love both his portraits and the stories he eases out if people, about their lives, about their days, about their favorite memories and favorite things.

I picked this book up as a gift and figured I might as well read it before passing it along. The pictures are fantastic, as expected. Kids can be unpredictable and hard to photograph sometimes, but Stanton does a great job capturing each kid. The text is pretty basic, and clearly meant for kids, as a sort of inspirational, warm and fuzzy word hug. It's okay for what it is, but I wish it had a little more of the essence of his work with adults, something that tells us something about each kid pictured.

I'm not talking about names or anything identifying that might be dangerous. Stanton doesn't even identify the adults he photographs, let alone the kids. I'm talking about an anecdote, or maybe something each kid said, or their parent said about them: "Bugs are my favorite, I like them for breakfast." "I'm waiting for my brother, he likes to play with me after school." "Unicorns are made out of marshmallows." Kids can say some funny and poignant things, and it would have been fun to inject each page and each photo with even more personality.

Definitely still a book I'd recommend, mostly to a family with fairly little kids.

[Kristen Block · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Humans is a book of photographs taken by Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York. It showcases children of all races and walks of life. The narrative of the book tells of the uniqueness and possibility of each child. This is a cute book to introduce students to children outside of the “white middle class” bubble, and is a great way for minority children in any aspect, to realize their own self worth and uniqueness. When I bought it, I expected something more similar to the original Humans of New York that would feature quotes from children, so at first I was disappointed. What changed my mind about this was seeing my three year old "read" the simple phrases on each page. This truly is a book for little humans.

The book can also be a great classroom discussion about diversity and differences between children. Students could be asked: What are some things that are similar about the children featured in the book? What are some differences between the children? Create an illustration that shows this.

Stanton, B. (2014). Little Humans. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers.

[Ali Cohen]

Title (italicize): Little Humans
Author: Brandon Stanton
Illustrator (if separate from author): n/a
Genre: Photographic essay
Theme(s):
• Children
• Diversity
• Culture
• Happiness
• Parents and Children
• Relationships
• Rhyming
• Hobbies
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): Little humans can do big things, if they stand up tall and hold on tight.
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words):
This photographic essay is a heart-warming story of the “little humans” of the world. The diverse set of photographs, accompanied with rhyming and simple text show the potential, diversity, uniqueness, happiness, complexity, and simplicity of our children.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1 (cut & paste):
Denise Hartzler (Children's Literature)
Brandon Stanton s Little Humans is a collection of 40 photographs of real children with a story, more like an ode, to little humans everywhere. Little humans are helpful and playful, friendly and loving, flexible and tough. They love their family and friends. One of the important things to know about little humans is that they are growing each day so they will not stay little for long. The story is simple, true, and captures the essence of children growing up. Stanton’s popular book and blog, Humans of New York, led to the creation of this book. He captures the essence of children around the city with individual photos. He interviews each of the children asking them the same questions he asks adults: What are you afraid of? What makes you happy, and What do you like to do? What he found was the children’s answers were just as profound as the adults. So as a way to celebrate children, he created a wonderful narrative to accompany his photographs. This photo book will appeal to children as young as toddlers who like looking at photos of other children. This book will also appeal to preschool and early elementary aged children as they learn to read the text. With short sentences and phrases, early readers will feel confident reading the text. The text uses a large sanserif font that makes it easy to read. And with one word colored on each page, parents and educators can use this as an opportunity to introduce readers to action words or words that have special meanings. Each colored word could be used as a key for children’s participation in reading the word. The possibilities of this book are endless and it is a must have for school and home. 2014, Farrar Straus Giroux/Macmillan,, $17.99. Ages 4 up.
(PUBLISHER: Farrar Straus Giroux (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2014.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2 (cut & paste):
Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)
Stanton, author of the bestselling and the popular website of the same name, turns his lens on children in this compilation of new photographs and those from his site. Shot in urban settings throughout the year, the portraits represent a rich range of ethnic backgrounds, eclectic outfits, and spontaneous poses. Stanton laces the images together with simple free verse alluding to children’s attributes, accomplishments, and pastimes: “Little humans can do BIG things, if they stand up tall and hold on tight.” In one scene, a stylish mother and daughter wearing pink straw hats smile at the camera; elsewhere, a stony-faced toddler and his dog sport superhero costumes (“Little humans can be tough... super HERO tough”). The airy verse replaces Stanton’s off-the-cuff comments and quotes from his subjects that typically accompany his work, but that doesn’t diminish the images’ impact or their insight into the personalities of his young subjects. This vivid collection underscores both the diversity and commonality among children, and may well inspire readers to imagine the lives of and stories behind each child. Ages 4–8.
(PUBLISHER: Farrar Straus Giroux (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2014.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words):
I feel as though these two reviews thoroughly capture the spirit and nature of this photographic essay, both touch on the author and his famous Humans of New York and how Little Humans is a piece he uses to celebrate our children of the world. Publisher Weekly mentions in their review, how in his blog for Humans of New York the language differs with quotes and comments from Stanton, however, here he uses more simple language, yet the personality of the children still shines through. Additionally, Denise Hartzler notes all the possibilities of how you could use this as an educational tool for children. I appreciated how she noted different ways one could use it for different aged students and lessons.
Evaluation of Literary Elements (3-4 sentences in your own words):
The photographs Stanton has chosen provide a powerful message of diversity that honors the differences and power of our children. Each photograph, simple but unique in its own sense, provides an opportunity for imagination of each child’s story. The text at the bottom of each photograph is simple, large, and rhyming, which will allow younger children to read the text with their own fluently. There is also one word on each page in a color other than black, which can be used for a variety of strategies, it could teach vocabulary, be a cue for the students to read along with a teacher, and is just aesthetically appealing.
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words):
I really loved all of Denise Hartzler’s ideas for the application of this photographic essay. An idea I had to use with upper elementary aged students would be for them to create their own photographic essays. I would assign them to take at least 10 photographs in one week that would describe their lives as children. After each student came to school with his or her personal photographs, I would display them around the classroom for the students to be able to do a gallery walk and appreciate each other’s work and then I would have each student write about another student’s photographic essay and explain what they think each photograph represents. (Of course, I would make sure each student knew that their writing had to be kept positive and nice.)

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following up on his success with the previous title, Humans of New York, the author/photographer continues to highlight children being themselves. The photos show scenes of pride, determination, anxiety, and joy as well as those reaching out for help, a hug or a little reassurance. The children are adorable, and the photographs, surrounded by abundant white space, are perfect for creating your own story or dialogue and wondering what's going on in the subject's lives. It would be hard to imagine any big humans not enjoying this book and remembering when they or their offspring once were little.

[Daria Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't quite this. I love the HONY blog, and I love the "Today in Microfashion" portion of it, so I was super excited when I heard about this book. While the pictures are the quality you'd expect from Brandon, the text left very little to be desired. I would have preferred to have a story accompany all of the pictures rather than the simple one sentence per picture. I think the stories still would've portrayed the message that little kids can do big things. However, it was overall an enjoyable, quick read.

[Nada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Humans by Brandon Stanton is a children's picture book with the quality of images expected from the Humans of New York (HONY) project. It includes a diverse set of images with an original picture book narrative - all about being a child. This book does a beautiful job of capturing both the diversity and the universality of childhood in a way that is easy to share to with children.

Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014...

[Jeremy West · Rating 5 out of 5]

After gaining widespread popularity for his blog and now book Humans of New York, photographer Brandon Stanton is back with a book for the little city dwellers. With beautiful photos of kids big and small, this story is one motivating children to do things bigger than themselves, to be strong, brave, smart, and playful. This is one book perfect for kids of all ages this holiday season.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humans of New York is one of my favorite Facebook pages. There is always something interesting on there that breaks up the wedding/baby pictures of my news feed. I like that he took those pictures and created this picture book. It has a great message and shows just how unique each of us are, but that we all do similar things and have similar goals.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Humans, like big humans, are all unique and wonderful in their own ways and this lovely title highlights that in fun and interesting ways. With photography of modern children to match the simple but important text children will be drawn in and intrigued by viewing the world through the lens of kids like themselves.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Humans of New York blog, and especially the photos with the little kids. This book takes some of the best of those photos, showing immense diversity, and highlights kids doing everyday things. The text goes along with the photos to create a message of being kids and doing their best. A heart-warming book all around.

[Katie Logonauts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea behind Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York project and was very curious about this version about kids and for kids. The photographs are incredible, and I love the diversity of kids, poses, and locations. The text is pretty meh and actually seems geared far too young, which might turn school-aged kids off. I also wish that there had been back matter with details about the kids

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you are a kid learning to read or just a kid at heart, this book is a must have. Brandon Stanton's photographs are funny, heart warming & poignant. The text is written for a young reader but caption the photos perfectly.

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d seen some posts about Brandon Stanton’s blog “Humans of New York” on my Facebook page. I was curious as to how it would translate for a much younger audience. I love the message. Fans of the Global Babies series will want to grab a copy of this!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it - loved the title,which is what made me read it; loved the pictures, loved the text & I think it is a good one for kids to make them feel good about who they are... and what they are capable of...

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am an avid "reader" of Humans o New York: http://www.humansofnewyork.com I have not read the book though.

This is a spinoff that expected to be similar. While the pictures are great, there are no individual stories for each one. It does have dialog, but as a children's book.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars Humans, humans everywhere. It is fun to see ordinary kids in their ordinary lives in this fun little book. A nice Human Interest, life on the street, life of New York sort of book.