The Very Small

by Joyce Dunbar

An adorable tale of blossoming friendship from a bestselling picture book duo. Ages 3-6

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Family, Friendship

32 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2000

About the author

Joyce Dunbar is an English author of over seventy children’s books, best known for Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go To Sleep, This Is The Star, and the Mouse and Mole series. Born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, she studied English at Goldsmiths College before teaching drama until hearing loss led her to write full time in 1989. Her first children’s book appeared when she was 35, followed by works such as Mundo and the Weather-Child, which explored the experiences of a deaf child and earned critical recognition. Her stories have been adapted for stage, television, and interactive media, with Mouse and Mole becoming a 26-part animated series. She has also been an advocate for deaf awareness, cycling across Cuba for charity. Dunbar lives in Norwich.

Reviews

[Lara]

A new friendship with a sweet beginning, but honestly, not one for me. I'm not sure what the Something is, and I'm not the type to let that go. And do they friends meet again? Or does Baby Bear just wake up with no Small Something in the place where he went to sleep? I dunno, it's just a sweet but odd little book to me, and not one I'd really pull out.

[Tessa Duncan]

When bear goes out into the forest, he finds a very small creature which he names Very Small. He treats Very Small like family, letting him share his parents, food and home. Very Small and Bear create a good friendship that eventually leads Very Small back home.

[Jennifer]

A fun story about a little bear who finds a "Very Small" whose lost in the forest. The Very Small misses his family and home and the little bear is happy to share his family and home. A sweet story appropriate for bedtime or for a group read aloud.

[Ruth A secas]

Qué cute este cuento 💙

[Kathryn]

Or, as I would call it, "The Very Cute" :-) Here are more of Debi Gliori's cozy, intriguing illustrations. This story blends the fantastical with the familiar as Giant Baby Bear finds The Very Small creature in the forest (it reminds me of a Thumbelina-sized lost boy from "Peter Pan"!) The Very Small is lost and Giant Baby Bear takes him back to his house--which is so very BIG to The Very Small--and shares his meal, playtime and bathtime with The Very Small. Here we have all the miniature-to-big ratios that kids love, such as The Very Small sliding down a cardboard papertowel roll for his playtime slide.

I would have liked a different ending, perhaps one showing more gratitude on the part of The Very Small or at least a continuing friendship (I couldn't help but think of Giant Baby Bear in the morning!) but overall this is a fun story with adorable illustrations that make it worth reading.

[Matthew]

This would make a good bedtime read. The Very Small is separated from his family and the bear decides to comfort him by taking him home to his own family since he doesn't know where to find the Very Small's family. Though the Very Small is continually homesick, he takes comfort from his bear friend and in the end, through some accidental sneezing, finds his way back to his family again. My only question would be about what happened next for the bear. Surely he would expect to find the Very Small in bed when he woke up the next morning. After all the bear went through to comfort the Very Small, having him disappear without so much as a goodbye would have to take an emotional toll. Poor bear. Good book though.

[Sarah A]

This is a very cute book. My daughter really enjoyed it as a nice snuggly bedtime book although she worried about baby bear going to bed with wet fur and wanted to know about the fleas in far too much detail!! A very cute story with really wonderful illustrations. Suitable bedtime reading! Also great at stimulating conversations about sharing and caring - possibly not so great about going home with a stranger!!

[The Brothers]

A bear in the woods comes across a little creature that is very small. Since he doesn't know what the creature is, it is always referred to as the Very Small. Very Small shares the bear's mom, dad, house, and dinner, but still wants to go to his own home. In the end, the bear sneezes him there.

Cute illustrations.

[Noelia]

Al igual que otros libros de mi infancia (tengo también comentarios sobre ellos), pienso que cuentos como estos marcan la vida de cualquier persona que comienza a leer. Y su mensaje queda incrustado en ellos por mucho que pase el tiempo.

[Jenny]

Cute little book with a fun story and cute illustrations. Discussed sharing with my 2 year old after we finished the story.

[Peggy Smith]

Both of my boys have enjoyed this one. A baby bear finds a "Very Small" lost in the forest and brings him home.

[Carol Mcgloshen]

A good book to show children about sharing and even making new friends. When very small was lost, the bears made him feel safe.

[Tasmin Lamb]

Such a warming novel that would be perfect for a bed time story!

[Miss Janis the Storytime Lady]

eh, okay.