Papa Small

Of all the Mr. Small books, this is my very favorite! I love the joy and harmony in this little family. I love the way that Mr. Small helps Mrs. Small with the house, and most importantly the children. I love the way that the children run to meet their daddy when he comes home at night. I particularly love that the family goes to church on Sundays together, and that the baby cries and has to be carried out :-) This book makes my heart sing!

I am a long time fan of Lois Lenski and this is another book added to my favorites list. It has what so many modern children's books are missing - a traditional nuclear family. Mama and Papa Small and their three children do things that all families should aspire to do. They eat together, play together, shop together, garden together and go to church together. They allow each other time to rest, help their family members with chores and while Papa Small goes to work outside the home and Mama Small is a typical SAHM, Papa pitches in with the household chores and is involved in the children's lives. This book is quite simply - a joy!

I first "met" Papa Small 20 years ago when I was babysitting my neighbor's 2 boys. She had a copy that was her own copy when she was a child. It was the black and white version, and she said it was one of her favorite books. It charmed me so much in its simplicity and gentleness, that I got a copy at the libary to read to my little girl; also brought home Cowboy Small, Policeman Small, etc. and since that day, my children have loved Mr. Small in his many varied roles. Lois Lenski's books are treasures for adults and children alike. Years ago before the internet, we tried and tried to find our own copy of Papa Small but we had no luck. We finally made a photocopy of a library copy (which was a French/English version from Canada by the way- in French he is Papa Petit) and colored it, laminated it, bound it with little rings, and we finally had our own copy! Now, we also own this reissue. Yes, they are all colorized now. Some people don't like that. I don't mind it, and in some ways I actually like them better. If you are a serious Lenski collector, you are better off finding originals on ebay. For the rest of us, these affordable reissues are a dream come true. I have yet to meet a child who doesn't like a Mr. Small book. Lois Lenski's books are such a refreshment...I am glad that we can still find such traditional books for children in this crazy, fast-paced, morally de-sensitized, ever-changing world. I am a Christian and live a traditional life, so the family life depicted in this book was not an offense to me.

This is a fabulous kid's book--I have two copies of it including an original non-colorized one that was mine as a child that I now read to my boys. I am a working, college educated professional and this book is far from archaic. It's hard to find books these days that depict a two-parent family, that goes the church on Sunday, and the dad does yard work with a reel mower (my husband does and we live in a suburb of the O.C. where people pay gardners to cut their postage stamp lots). We love this book (even though we are a multi-racial family) since the family does all the things that we do including go to church every Sunday. Perhaps you are a stay-at-home mom (I'm not), you'd enjoy this one with the Small smalls helping Daddy and Mama too. "Mama Small takes care of the house....Mama Small cooks the meals. Paul and Polly Small help. They set the table. Baby Small is hungry...When Papa Small comes home, the small Smalls run to meet him. Dinner is ready. The Smalls sit down to eat... " But lest you think Papa Small is doing nothing..."On Monday Mama Small washes the clothes. When Papa Small comes home he helps hang them on the line...Papa Small likes to help around the house. On Wednesday he hangs up a picture up for Mama." Etc. Great book. Read it all the time. You should get it. Pitty they've colorized all of Lois Lenski's fabulous two-color books. In the 21st century, yes, we now have working single parents, same-sex two parent households, all colors and stripes, but that doesn't make it wrong to depict the "traditional," nuclear family. Yes according to the recent census that's only now 22% of the US population, but this book is still a keeper. Thumbs up, way up!