Little and Big

In the rainforest of Madagascar, two lemurs-one little and one big-take turns wishing to be more like the other, in this lush, poignant picture book about life with a sibling.

It's nighttime in the rainforest, and when Mama tells young Faly to shut his eyes, he objects. "Only if Mahandry sleeps, too," he tells his mother. "But I am bigger than you, Faly," answers the older lemur brother. "I am allowed to go to bed later." Thus begins a spirited back-and-forth and a family gambol that brings a mama and her two lemur sons from the hollow of their tree to a dangerous wide river crossing to a slippery rushing waterfall and eventually to a tall tree filled with orchids to snack on. And with each step, the brothers notice who gets help from mama or who gets the kind of independence that comes with being big. Each child desires both, and each child quietly reflects throughout on why he would rather be more like the other. No matter, it always seems true to one brother that the other has the advantage.

Anne Gutman's poignant tale of siblings seesawing through a typical day en famille rings with truth, humor, and sensitivity. Georg Hallensleben's paintings of the rainforest in pinks, browns, and greens are a feast for the eyes and a treat for nature fans, and especially for young readers being introduced to the magic of the rainforest and its inhabitants for the first time.