The Littlest Family's Big Day

by Emily Winfield Martin

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wonderful Things You Will Be, meet Emily Winfield Martin's little forest family and the adventures they have on one very big day.

Meet the littlest family. They have just moved to the forest and are ready to go for their first wander about. What will this little family find? Friends, adventure, and most importantly, a place they belong.

With carefully chosen words and brushstrokes Emily Winfield Martin captures the mystery of the woods while adding magical touches uniquely her own.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Family, Storytime, Adventure, Travel

36 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 18, 2016

About the author

Emily Winfield Martin makes paintings, books, and other things. When she was small, she spent every moment drawing, reading, dressing rabbits in fancy clothes, and having many peculiar daydreams. When she grew up, she began to illustrate those peculiar daydreams, and after college, she created a cottage industry called The Black Apple, which sells all manner of art and etceteras.

She works in a tiny nook of a studio filled with old children's books, wind-up toys, and stacks of fabric. Her work is inspired by fairy tales, music, myths, carnivals, children's books from the late 19th through mid 20th century, her favorite films, and autobiography.

She likes bears and sea monsters and seashell pink poppies. She lives and works among the giant fir trees of Portland, OR.

Reviews

[Lata]

Pretty illustrations for a story about a family moving to a new neighbourhood.

[Fi]

We got this book at the toy store where I work a few days ago and I've read it almost every day since. It's so cute. I can't stop looking at it. Quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen. I wish I had this book when I was a child, but I'm happy that I get to enjoy it now too!!

Emily Winfield Martin has the world's most adorable illustrations, AND is a local artist in the city of Portland, where I live.

[Kellee Moye]

BEAUTIFUL illustrations and a cute neighborhood adventure.

[Kate Willis]

Adorably atmospheric.

[Libertad Botia]

Una historia sobre la mudanza, el cambio, los estados de ánimo y el hogar. Las ilustraciones son bellísimas, te sumergen en un mundo fantástico, animal y lleno de naturaleza. Transmite un bonito mensaje sobre el sentido de vivir y construir comunidad. El formato también está pensado para transmitir las ideas, muy buen detalle.

[Melki]

I've long admired Martin's artwork, and I'm happy to see it in any form. There's an odd feel to this book, though, almost as if the story was written around the illustrations. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, when they end up looking like these.

[Gina]

That owl would totally eat them.

There are some definite logical flaws in the book, and yet none of that is dramatic enough to make the book interesting. However, it seems like it could still be a very good bedtime book, because it has nice pictures and minor obstacles with happy resolutions that all happen quietly.

[Gina]

Charming illustrations follow this sweet story about a little family of creatures on a wander.

[Rhiley Jade]

A spectacular adventure to embark on! The art, the story, the colors-WOW! Emily Winfield Martin will be my favorite children's author for a long time, I can tell.

[Kyla (Ryan) Stearns]

Am I going to count the books I read with Alice? Yes. This one was given by a dear friend though and definitely made me cry. 10/10 or in this case 5 🌟

[Julia]

The illustrations are, of course, beautiful.

[Barbara]

The four members of the littlest family have an adventure in the wood where they wander about, follow the wind, and even go boating on a nearby river. Although their flight from a rainstorm leads to getting lost, they receive assistance from another friendly animal who makes sure they make their way back to safety and home. The book has a dreamy, imaginative, other worldly feel to it, enhanced by the lovely illustrations, created with acrylic on wood and gouache. I really liked the last page that shows the tired but contented wanderers tucked safely in their beds back home, warm and secure and sleeping in the same room and possibly dreaming of even bigger adventures. There's something dreamlike and appealing to the simple and sweet story and those images that evoke a sense of togetherness and family love.

[Jessica]

Possibly the cutest story I've ever read. The pictures are just lovely.

[Linda]

A wandering "tiny" bear family moves to the woods, meets quite a few other small inhabitants of the forest, are caught in a rain storm and run for shelter. It's dark, they're lost, but one kind owl helps them discover what home they really have. The plot is a bit loose, a "morning till night story," but I think the younger readers will enjoy it, along with the cute illustrations.

[Celeste]

Absolutely beautiful illustrations, my favorite kind - very sweet. Story just ok, though. Not much there. They have adventures and get lost, then come home.

[Margaret]

The author was also the illustrator for this lovely book. It reminded me of stories by Margaret Wise Brown. You could spend hours looking at the beautiful illustrations!

[Julia]

Very cute homage to Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown, but the font is a nightmare to read in low light at bedtime.

[Baby Bookworm]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Today’s book is The Littlest Family’s Big Day by Emily Winfield Martin, a sweet story of a tiny bear family’s move to a new neighborhood.

The Bear family has just moved to the forest, and they are excited to explore their new neighborhood. They aren’t like regular bears; only five inches tall, different colors, and their youngest child an adopted fox cub, they look very different from their neighbors. Still, the neighbors welcome them with cheer and hospitality as the family goes for a wander around their new home. But after much wandering, the family finds that they are lost! Fortunately, a kindly owl carries them home, where they find that the neighborhood has put together a huge party to welcome them to the forest.

This is a very cute book. As always, Martin’s art is the star of the show: her delicate yet rich environments and characters capture the magic of the forest. The story is simple, but there are some great lessons to be found about acceptance, being neighborly and welcoming, and showing kindness to new people. It feels very much like a metaphor for the immigrant experience, which is cool, and definitely includes a non-traditional, mixed-race adoptive family, which is even cooler. The length is great, and JJ always enjoys Martin’s art, as there are so many details to pick out. We really enjoyed this one, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Stephanie Bange]

There is a quirkiness to this book...one that has images of small creatures in a giant world, that look like a throwback to illustrations of classic Golden Books from the 1950's, and yet has a timeless, fresh feel. Yep, that describes this little gem of a book.

This family of four very small bears wanders outside of their new home in the woods in order to meet their new neighbors, which include fairy-like butterflies, mice, a bunny, a squirrel, a robin, aspider, a snail, raccoons, a kitten, and gnomes. They float over a treacherous school of fish, munch on strawberries, seek refuge under a mushroom in a thunderstorm, realize they are lost, but then found and return to the warmth of their home.

The golden colors, fuzzy edges, and artistic style used in this book feel inspired by classic artists like Garth Williams, Robert McCloskey, and Feodor Rojankovsky. For many of us, this brings warm and cozy memories. It is interesting that Martin chose to use a cursive font, as many schools no longer teach cursive writing. Years from now, the kiddos will not be able to read this...

But, for now, this could be the perfect read on the end of a perfect day of wandering!

For PreSchool - grade 3.

[Mavis’s Dad]

The house is split on this one. I think that with a title that includes “the littlest family” a reader could assume they’re reading about the tiniest of forest creatures. Alas, this fantastical trip through the forest is about miniature bears instead. These bears ride an owl? Mushrooms stand taller than them? I’m all about fantastical children’s lit, but this is wholly unbelievable. Mavis’s mom says it’s a book about newcomers who don’t fit in and who are looking for a home and are supported in a community to feel safe and secure.

Moral: The world is a BIG place and navigating it takes support.

Length: In my eyes, it’s unfortunate, this isn’t as short as the protagonists. In Mavis’s Mom’s view, it’s perfect for repeated reads.

Favorite Line: “But when you are lost, it is the best time to be found.”

Overall Impression: I think this is a classic case of an author trying too hard to sell books to pretentious parents who are afraid of having to read Green Eggs and Ham 100 times. Mavis’s mom thinks it’s a beautiful parable for our times. What do you think? Let me know in the comments because 200+ books in and Mavis’s parents have never been so divided.

[Audrey]

The Littlest Family's Big Day is a sentimental call back to the picture books of my childhood, with animals and fairies dressed in their most charming outfits doing things in the forest that they simply must do when no person is looking. Scale and logic cast aside, The Littlest Family is a family of tiny bears who go on a journey from their new home to find that they have made friends of their neighbor gnomes, squirrels, raccoons, snails, mice, birds and more. The last page opens to a big spread of a party I wish I could join, with a spider spelling out the word "Home" above their threshold in a loving nod to White's "Charlotte's Web".

My four year old enjoyed this short bedtime story as much as I did. I would recommend the board book as I'm drawn to open and reopen the spread at the end over and over again. So is the four year old - so we will definitely get more life out of this rugged publication than we would a hardbound book with paper pages!

[Dylan]

I absolutely adored this, it was like Fantastic Mr. Fox (the Wes Anderson film adaptation) and The Borrowers combined.

Issues: why are these critters the sizes they are it doesn't make sense when they are juxtaposed, like birds seem to be their normal size and mice are close to their normal size but everything else seems randomly sized? Also wish it was longer and we could meet all these little characters. Finally, the cursive font makes it a lot less accessible, especially as cursive seems to be fading away.

I just think it was a great start to something but it seems almost like a draft or an idea not full fledged out.

[Katie Fitzgerald]

Martin is a talented illustrator, but the text in this book is mediocre at best. The story felt incoherent, as though it was written to accompany a random selection of illustrations, rather than written to tell a story in conjunction with the pictures. I was reminded of the Barefoot Critters books, which are also beautifully illustrated but just not that well-written. I really wish publishers would pair some of these great illustrators with tried and true writers - the result could be some really great books.

[Deltora]

The cover of this book was so cute I had to flip through it, which turned into reading the whole thing..

This book is so cute and so charming, it’s warm and safe and feels like childhood. This is a beautiful book about a family moving to a new neighborhood and the adventure of meeting new friends. It’s pretty great.

[Jessica]

I enjoyed the style of the illustrations. The detail, zoom-in and out, the maze. The word choice made me smile, “As they continued on their wander…”; “When are lost it is the best time to be found.” Great mentor text for word choice. The text is in cursive which I find to be an interesting picture book font choice.

[Jagoda]

This book is more illustration focused than story focused. It’s beautiful to look at and I’m hoping as my 1 year old grows there will be plenty to discuss about the illustrations because they really are beautiful.

[Neale Sourna]

Cute little adventure. Share with a child this integrated family's fun day with new friends. Okay, I work in a bookstore and thought I'd check this one out. There wasn't reads like this when I was "age appropriate."

[ChiChi]

Wonderful story about a Bear family moving into the woods, finding a new home and then going out and exploring...they have a great adventure, meeting many new animals and friends. Great illustrations. Love it that the Bear family's infant is a fox!

[Emily Kendall]

This is one of our family’s favorite picture books - it is whimsical and peaceful and the perfect bedtime story. Features themes of togetherness, adventure, and the comforts and safety of home. So glad it’s a part of childhood for my kiddos.

[Avery]

I wish more toddler books were like this! There is a very gentle sense of narrative (an actual beginning, middle and end), not too many words, lots of different and interesting things to see in each gorgeous page. It’s comforting and rhythmic and reassuring. Perfect for toddlers. Chef’s kiss.