DiMari Bailey

Don’t try to guess who this little brown animal is in DiMari Bailey’s sweet story. Instead listen to the musical tones of a myth well-told. The little brown animal learns to embrace his skills as story-teller to the forest, where nymphs and dryads used to live. Perhaps their voices are the ones the brown animal hears. But nobody else can hear them, so they listen to him.

Smooth artwork, glowing colors, and gentle images decorate this tale. The writing is nicely simple, clear and melodic. And the story leads to an answer, just not one the beginning reader would have imagined. Little Brown Animal is a sweet lyrical picture book for young children and parents to share.

Disclosure: It was free so I bought it.… (meer)

(ARC was provided to read and review.)

Deep in the forest lives a little brown animal. It has very short legs and a short stumpy tail and he's sure, he's very ugly. He spends his day hidden away in the shadows watching the other animals play and wishes he was as beautiful as they are.
One warm sunny day, he goes down to the brook and falls asleep. Suddenly he hears voices, the wind, the trees, the river, they all speak to him and tell him lots of wonderful stories and all they ask in return, is that he goes and tells their tales to the animal children of the forest.
First he is very shy, but slowly he warms to the idea and the small animals love to listen to his tales. No one else can hear the voices of the stones and the grass and no one is able to tell such wonderful stories like the little brown animal.
Their favourite tale is the one of the great golden griffin, who watched over the forest and disappeared one day, never to be seen again.
Time passes and the little brown animal grows old. He can barely walk now and his voice is just a wisper, but one night something happens.......

The book is the first of four picture books, The Tales of the Deep Forest. The Golden Griffin will be the next book in the series, and I assume it will answer one or two questions, which were left open at the end of this one.

Little Brown Animal is a very warm hearted story with beautiful illustrations, which young children will love to look at and enjoy to read. The story tells us, that we all are special, just the way we are. It also carries the message of trying to overcome anxiety and making contact with others, accepting ourselves and realizing, that we will be accepted and be liked for just being us. And once we understand that, we will be as happy, as the little brown animal, all the way right down to our toes.… (meer)