A charming, suspenseful, and wholly original picture book about the adventure of growing up.

When Little i’s dot falls off, rolls down a hill, over a cliff, and into the sea, Little i sets out on a journey to rescue it. With a playful focus on the alphabet, spelling, and simple punctuation, this charming and suspenseful quest story about letters, self-confidence, belonging, and growing up is a great choice for the classroom, library story-hours, and bedtime.

Greenwillow Books, 2017, 48 pages, hardcover, 978-0-06238-300-6

purchase links: local bookseller : barnes & noble : amazon

resources

Little i storytime activities

awards and recognition

Junior Library Guild selection

selected reviews

The New York Times

“… a wonderfully clever and ultimately triumphant journey of self-discovery for this spunky little character. … You’d never think you would root so hard for a lowercase vowel. But you will…. Little i may be a mere cutout letter, but his humanity shines through.”

The Horn Book (starred review)

“… Bright digitally compiled collages composed of painted and cut paper create dramatic backgrounds, and the expressions of and movement among the letters give them energy and personality (e.g., the alphabet characters speak by lining up next to one another to form words: “‘strange,’ said s, t, r, a, n, g, and e”). The roles of symbols and letters in the English language beautifully become part of the story’s action, and a map in the back explains the punctuation on the island.”

School Library Journal

“A playful exploration of language and punctuation with expressive alphabet characters, an exciting journey, and a triumphant ending…. Bright, chunky, and delicately textured cut-paper and collage illustrations fill each page of this story to the brim with color and movement…. An inventive and well-executed story and design make this an excellent choice for young storytimes and a strong selection for most collections.”

Booklist

“This lighthearted adventure starring the lowercase i portrays the letters of the alphabet with human characteristics. …The brief text and uncomplicated plot make this manageable for those just learning the alphabet, while the sly humor will appeal to those a bit older. … awesome!”

Kirkus Reviews

“… An inventive alphabet book for the perceptive reader.”