Little People, BIG DREAMS + A giveaway!

February 25, 2019

Quarto Publishing Group sent me the books in this post in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

After reviewing a number of subscription boxes over the past few weeks, I’m turning to something a little different today: books! (But I do have one more box to share with you before the month is out. And I think you’re really going to like it.) Today I want to share some of our favourites from a highly collectible series for young readers, Little People, BIG DREAMS. They’re whimsically illustrated picture books aimed at kids aged 4 to 7 that tell the stories of people who pursued their dreams to achieve incredible things, despite some difficult beginnings and/or hardships along the way. Quarto sent me advance copies of the newest additions to the series — Stephen Hawking and Muhammad Ali, both published earlier this month — and the Women in Art Gift Set featuring Audrey Hepburn, Frida Kahlo and Coco Chanel.

Ten in the series are available as board books for very little ones and there’s two book-and-paper doll-sets (Marie Curie and Emmeline Pankhurst), a matching game and a deck of 40 learning cards. There’s also a Women in Science Gift Set (Amelia Earhart, Ada Lovelace, Marie Curie) but my favourite (as a right-brainer) is the Little People BIG DREAMS Women in Art Gift Set:

Meet three inspirational women from the world of art: Frida Kahlo, Coco Chanel, and Audrey Hepburn! This boxed gift set of three hardcover books from the internationally best-selling Little People, BIG DREAMS series introduces little dreamers to the lives of these incredible women who worked in the arts…and changed the world.

In these remarkable true stories, learn how three women overcame hardship to achieve great success in the arts. Frida—despite having polio as a child and, later, being injured in a terrible road accident—went on to become one of the most famous artists of the twentieth century. Coco spent her early life at an orphanage, where she was taught how to use a needle and thread. She followed her passion to make her name as a world-famous fashion designer and style icon. Audrey, after living through the hardships of World War Two, began acting in plays and films, eventually becoming an iconic Hollywood star. Each of these moving books features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the woman’s life.

I’m going to come right out and admit I knew very little about these women before this series. I was familiar with some of their work (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the 2.55 quilted bag, The Two Fridas) but not their stories. And as simply told as these were, they each made me curious to know more.

Each book suggests additional books and resources for further study. For Coco Chanel, these include Different Like Coco by Elizabeth Matthews, Coco Chanel: Famous Fashion Designers by Dennis Abrams and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where several of Chanel’s famous pieces are housed.

Isabel Sánchez Vegara wrote all five books in this post, but they all have different illustrators. I enjoyed them all, but Matt Hunt’s very British-looking, 1960s-era artwork suits the Stephen Hawking book particularly well.

And there are more titles on the way! David Bowie comes out in May, Dolly Parton (June) and Bruce Lee (July). (Others too, these are just the ones I’m most excited to see.)

I think so many kids are going to be inspired by these books. It’s going to be one of those series that parents tuck away for their kids to share with their own children one day.

Giveaway!

Thanks to Quarto, I’ve got a Little People, BIG DREAMS Women in Art Gift Set for one of you! To enter to win it, tell me who you’d like to see in a future book in the comments below. (This entry is mandatory.)

For another entry, follow try small things on Facebook and like (or love!) the post pinned to the top of my page about this book and leave a comment, then tell me you did so and your name on Facebook in the comments below. You don’t have to share, but I really appreciate it when you do!

And feel free to tweet the following once per day and leave the url for your tweet in the comments below (one entry per tweet). Make sure you’re following try small things and Quarto Knows on Twitter for your entry to count.

See what’s new from the Little People, BIG DREAMS series and enter to #win the Women in Art Gift Set from @trysmallthings https://wp.me/p4xBed-72w CAN 3/14 #littlepeoplebigdreams

The contest is open to Canadian (excluding Quebec) residents 18+ and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on March 14, 2019. The potential winner (chosen at random) must respond to prize notification within 48 hours and provide the correct answer to a skill-testing question, otherwise another winner will be selected.

Update March 15, 2019: Congratulations Monique S!