Life for a child is magnified in so many ways that everything can just seem so …. It is filling in the varieties of “so” that challenges a children’s author to be creative, something Brenda Faatz and Peter Trimarco seem able to do with so much fun and action and imagination in their children’s books about Lizzie, the red-headed girl, this time with It's Just So...Little! To capture the young person’s reading interest, it is necessary to do so much more than simply provide cute pictures, cute rhymes, or a cute storyline. The true talent, and one at which the authors/illustrator excel, is in presenting a collage of intrigue made up of words, events, thoughts, and activities, all the while managing to connect them into a singularly coherent tapestry. Too much to ask? Apparently not.

What Brenda Faatz and Peter Trimarco do is intricate and highly thoughtful. As gaily colorful and bursting with energy as is It’s Just So Little – the illustrations are truly amazing - if one takes the time to study them at leisure, he sees an impeccably replicated version of a young child’s emotional and maturational reality. In this case, young Lizzie is already growing older. Things are changing … just so quickly. She is given life-changing news about a new birth, and her world becomes the perfect metaphor for all that she must consider. The authors remind us that children are not the simple creatures they often appear to be. Their interior worlds are magnified; everything takes on greater meaning, becomes a greater challenge, becomes so … much … more. It is the interweaving of so many elements that makes this book stand out. A single read or two will simply not suffice. There is just too much here to love.

It's Just So...Little! by Brenda Faatz and Peter Trimarco is a cute children’s story about a small girl named Lizzy and her innocent adventures. Lizzy and her dog wake up one Fall morning to see that the weather is suddenly windy and chilly with leaves blowing everywhere. When Lizzy goes out to play, she notices a small sapling struggling to survive in the cold weather. She plants it in a pot with the help of her dog and keeps it indoors throughout winter. As winter turns into spring, Lizzy is also growing up and expecting a small baby brother or sister. When spring comes, not only does the sapling revive and grow buds, but Lizzy also becomes a big sister to a tiny baby.

What I loved about this book is that it is a cute and simple story that also tries to cultivate a love of nature and trees in children. I enjoyed reading about Lizzy growing up and her genuine concern and wonder at the growing sapling. In a way, the small tree and her new small sibling is a good comparison to show kids the importance of compassion toward everything. The illustrations in this book are colorful and wonderful and really enhance the story. It's Just So...Little! by Brenda Faatz and Peter Trimarco is a book I would highly recommend to any parent with kids or even just as a simple and cute storybook for anyone to read.

It's Just So...Little! is a picture book for children written by Brenda Faatz and Peter Trimarco, and illustrated by Peter Trimarco. Lizzy's world was changing so quickly! When she woke up that morning, all the leaves on the trees outside had turned red, gold and orange, and the weather was cold and windy. When she rummaged through her closet to find her warm hoodie, she was dismayed to find it was now way too small for her. Her mom had a smile on her face as she told Lizzie not to worry -- that her hoodie would make a great hand-me-down for a little sister or brother. Lizzy was stunned by the news that she would be a big sister. It was awesome and exhilarating and scary all at once. When she finally went out to play, all the new and strange things whirling through her mind, she saw a tiny tree near her swing. It was so very small, she thought, it would never survive the winter. And so, she and her puppy gently dug up the sapling and planted it in the pot she had found for it. They would take care of the little tree until it was bigger.

Brenda Faatz and Peter Trimarco's picture book for children simply and eloquently shares Lizzy's experiences as she gets used to the idea of becoming a big sister and cares for the tiny sapling she rescued from the cold. Fears such as whether your parents will still play with you or continue thinking you're special are things many kids may secretly worry about when a new baby is coming, and this book goes a long way towards putting some of those insecurities to rest. I loved how the authors parallel the stories of the rescue of the tiny tree, the passing of the three seasons, and the imminent arrival of Lizzy's little brother. Their prose is upbeat and fun, especially the "It's just so" exclamations which march proudly and prominently across the bottom of each page. Peter Trimarco's illustrations are masterful. Each panel is animated and filled with marvelous detail. You can feel the gusty winds that threaten to sweep Lizzy off her feet, and enjoy the chaos that erupts when she goes into her closet to find her clothes. It's Just So...Little! is most highly recommended.