Tiny on the Farm

I happened to grab "Tiny" at the library because of the friendly dog on its colorful cover -- my 22-month-old son adores anything about dogs. And, man, does he ever love Tiny! Of the bazillions of books in his room (both on-loan and those we own), my boy picks up "Tiny" first and brings it to me every morning AND every bedtime (followed by the classic, Harry the Dirty Dog). The short, sweet text and the playful pictures have grown on me, too. There's some sort of magic happening -- certainly more there than first meets the eye. Apparently, Tiny is the star of several early readers, but I sure hope there's another picture book in the works, 'cuz my little one can't get enough Tiny!

Reviewed by Conner (age 4) and Mom for Reader Views (5/08) Elliot and his dog Tiny, who is far from being small, visit Uncle John's farm to help with the chores. Instead they find themselves being detectives in order to find Uncle John's missing kittens. "That wasn't very long. I think I'd like another book." "Do you think Tiny was tiny?" "No, he was big." "Why do you think he was called Tiny?" "I don't know. Is it another name for being big? Tiny, that's funny." "Why do you think the kittens liked Tiny?" "Because he's their friend." "Would you like to go to a farm?" "Yes, I would like to keep some of the baby chicks." "Do you think Tiny had a great nose?" "Yes, because it is big. I liked the whole book." Parent's comment: "Tiny on the Farm" is a simple tale that is delightfully illustrated. The pictures walk you through farm life and showcase a lot of work that has to be done. Though this is the sixth book in the series, this is our first introduction to Tiny. We wondered how he got his name. Also, was he always this big?