Little by Little: A Writer's Education (Puffin Story Books)
by Jean Little
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jean LittleEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1991-03-01
ISBN: 0140323252
Number of pages: 240
Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Puffin
Book Reviews of Little by Little: A Writer's Education (Puffin Story Books)
Book Review: Bit by bit
Summary: 4 Stars
So I've been steadily working my way through the greatest children's books of all time for just over a year now. To do this, I've been attempting to use a variety of already existing lists, so as to bulk up my cumulative kiddie lit knowledge. One of these lists is the New York Public Library's "100 Favorite Children's Books". This list includes everything from "Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry" to "Freaky Friday". Now I had been doing quite well on these titles and was pleased with its choices right up until I came across the somewhat bizarre choice of "Little By Little" by Jean Little. This is one of those authorial biographies that are meant to tell an inspirational story by highlighting an author's struggles and tribulations. Now, this is not a badly told story by any means. Jean Little is, admittedly, not one of the better known children's authors living today (though a quick Amazon search will show you that she certainly doesn't lack for titles), but her story is fairly interesting. It's just that... well, I dunno. Maybe kids reading this tale would all find it fully fascinating. For my part, I was disappointed. What we seem to have here is a nice enough story about an obscure person dealing with some physical and social trials who triumphs in the end. It's nice, but the book does not strike me as being a particularly memorable experience.
Jean Little was originally born in Taiwan to a pair of overseas Canadians. And from the moment she was born there was a great deal of concern over her eyes and her eyesight. Jean popped out of the womb with scars on her corneas, a condition which left her cross-eyed and untreatable. Glasses, for all that she wore them, did nothing to correct the problem. After moving to Canada just after the outbreak of WWII, Jean faced constant ridicule and torment from her peers due to her partly blind condition. A brief period spent in a school for children like herself did her a lot of good, but soon it was right back into public school where the cruelty of children was concentrated on poor little Jean. Fortunately, she had her books and poetry to keep her happy. Over time, Jean started to write her own stories and poems, some getting accepted into magazines and publications. Her parents, always supportive, helped her to improve her skills and in spite of her handicap she managed to attend and graduate from college with a B.A. The rest, as they say, is history.
When I first began to read this story, I was struck by how similar Jean's story has been to the "100 Favorite Children's Books" biography, "Homesick: My Own Story" by fellow (better known) children's writer Jean Fritz. Both women began life in East Asian countries and had to move to North America while young. But while Fritz concentrates her attention on that particular transition and what it means to have two different homes, Little is more concerned with the tale of her own inspirational story. Also, Little's book isn't filled with interesting illustrations (like Fritz's) so it's a wordy affair. The occasional photograph does dot the text here and there, but that's all that breaks up the story. I was a bit shocked at the abruptness of the ending as well. Not to give anything away, but it shows Little receiving notice that her first children's book is going to be published. Suddenly the story ends, without the book summing up what Little's been through or explaining how she changed over the years. It was an odd way to end a story where the reader has been through so much with the protagonist.
To be honest, the book struck me as odd. It's a biography, but Little freely admits that no human being is capable of remembering perfectly every moment and conversation of their life. So there's been some tampering to make the tale readable. It's well-written. It has an interesting tale of individual struggle. And quite frankly I really didn't enjoy it. I can't pinpoint why either. Maybe it's the title. Maybe the fact that I found it hard to identify with Jean from time to time. Maybe it was the writing style or Jean's constant appeal for understanding. Whatever the case, I just couldn't get into it. I have little doubt that for some children that face torment due to their appearances, this book could be considered nothing short of a godsend. But I just didn't like it. Plain and simple.
Usually I can back up my reaction to one book or another with a host of flaws in the title. I don't think I can here. It's a nice enough story. And the writing is fine n' dandy. But if you were to ask me for my top twenty biographies written for children... I can't say this would make the list. But I may well be in a minority here. In any case, if my personal opinion means anything to you then I suggest you search out Jean Fritz's, "Homesick", and read that instead of this tale. It's fine and all. Just dislikable on some obscure hard to define level.
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