Tiny & Hercules (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Tiny & Hercules Deborah Stevenson Schwartz, Amy. Tiny & Hercules; written and illus. by Amy Schwartz. Porter/Roaring Brook, 2009 [32p]. ISBN 978-1-59643-253-6 $16.95 Reviewed from galleys R 5–8 yrs Friends Tiny (a large elephant) and Hercules (a small mouse) may be at the opposite ends of the size spectrum, but their friendship is only enhanced by their complementarity. In five compact stories, Tiny tries ice skating, Hercules tries art, and the pair together opens a lemonade stand, hosts a birthday party, and experiments with knitting. We’ve had a run of books documenting friendships between opposites lately, but this pairing is the best at demonstrating the literal benefits of such an arrangement. Even when their difference looks like it could become a problem (as when it becomes clear that it’s a lot quicker to knit a sweater for a mouse than for an elephant), the friends always solve the issue by putting friendship first (Tiny happily judges the eensy-weensy knitted garment “the nicest hat I’ve ever had”). The chaptery approach makes this inviting as a readalone or a serial readaloud, and illustratively inclined kids will appreciate the art-dependent conclusions of some of the stories (several even use a wordless scene to tie up their plots). Slender, tidy, carefully controlled lines delimit the fields of sweetly hued watercolor infill; plentiful white space and big Tiny’s oversized components keep the spreads airy and uncluttered, while little Hercules is diminutive enough that “spot the mouse” becomes an entertaining game in its own right. Fans of classic friendship tales will find this a worthwhile exploration of that venerable theme. Copyright © 2009 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois