The title and cover of this book caught my eye. I really enjoyed this book. I like the ending where it described each family member with a bit more depth. This book was easy for a child to understand and makes you want to read the books or have someone read them. I did say I wouldn’t use this for my curriculum, but the more I think about it, it will be one that I use. The writing is something to demonstrate when I am working on writing skills. I am also suggesting this book to others I work with.

This beautiful picture book biography made me tear up. However, the main text does not discuss the sorrows of the Bronte's later life: Branwell's alcoholism; Anne and Emily's illnesses; Charlotte's short married life. Instead, O'Leary chose to end the book with its subjects still children, still telling each other stories. (A timeline at the back of the book covers their whole lives, so readers can find what a little about what happened later).

What made me cry was not so much the sad fate of Anne, Emily, Branwell and Charlotte as the central message of the biography. This book is ultimately about the power of imagination and story. It is about the way children living in what we would consider a harsh environment used their storytelling gifts to enrich their lives and support each other. That is a beautiful thing!

The art by Briony May Smith is perfect: both somber and muted in color but also depicting the richness of the children's story lives. I suppose some readers may not like the muted colors --they are not like the bright, splashy art of many picture books-- but as a Victorianist, I felt the palette really fit the subject matter. The children themselves are adorable and appealing.

The backmatter is excellent. It includes an activity that could be used in the classroom, the aforementioned timeline of the authors' lives, and a couple of pages of backstory aimed at older or adult readers.

Speaking in my dual capacity as both a picture book writer and a scholar specializing in Victorian literature, I recommend this biography.

As a retired children’s librarian I know there are many picture books adults can enjoy. This is one of them. The story and the illustrations are delightful. The research which has been done to create this book is evident by the end sections which include a timeline and a bibliography. I hope Brontë fans and book lovers of all ages find this lovely book. I plan to go back and reread this to look more closely at details in the illustrations. My favorite is the double-page spread showing the children’s imaginary characters as shadows on their bedroom wall.

I really enjoyed this book about the Brontë family. Having seen some biographical movies intended for adults, I know their lives were very likely difficult and possibly depressing. However, they were brilliant creative people in a world that made publishing extremely difficult for women. I appreciate this biographical story which sheds a positive light on the creative, imaginative Bronte siblings. We know they had imaginary worlds and played together. There must have been love and camaraderie, and happy times. I appreciate that this book shines the light into those possibilities. I think younger children would be comfortable with this bio and the story feels inspiring but also historical. Images were fantastic. Beautifully done.

I don't know much about the Brontes family, and was quite surprised at how a simple story like this gave so much insight to such little people, that have made such a big impact on the world of books. The thought of kids loving to read and write at such a young age, and kept that love throughout their life. How incredible it is, that what children are introduced to early in life, could mold and shape people that make history. A legacy made from imagination, to stories that are so well known around the world.

What an inspiration for children to read, to show that ANYTHING is possible.

The illustrations were WONDERFUL! The layout of the story was short, simple, and impactful.

Thank you very much NetGalley for this ARC.

This is a great picture book to introduce the childhood lives of the Brontë sisters. I appreciated the timeline and additional history included at the end of the book. I love to learn history through books like this that bring the figures to life in a way that I can relate.

Cute story with gorgeous illustrations about the Brontë family. I don’t know that I would read this to my 4 year old, but I would definitely wait until she’s older.

What a charming book about the Brontë family, perfect for readers of any age. The Little Book of the Little Brontës by Sara O’Leary will engage young readers and inspire their desire to learn about this historic family. The illustrations by Briony May Smith are beautifully done in soft colours and capture the spirit of these children. It is the perfect way to introduce young readers to classic literature.

The story takes you to the edge of the moors in Haworth Parsonage, West Yorkshire, England. Here we meet Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne Brontë. The children learn many things, but the most enjoyed is learning to read and telling each other stories. The siblings write stories and make books for themselves and each other, using their limited resources. Overall the book focuses on the bond between the four children and their father during childhood. Also included is an informative Authors Note, a fun activity that teaches readers how to make a little book and a helpful timeline.

The team of O’Leary and Smith created a heartwarming and inspiring story for book lovers of all ages. The research done for this project shines through and teaches readers of all ages new things about the Brontë family. Together, this writer-illustrator team brought to life the childhood circumstances of the authors who provided the world with titles still read today, such as Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, to name a mere few. I highly recommend this book for families, parents, and educators. I cannot wait to get a physical copy when it hits bookstores in October!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Tundra Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I received the ARC by Netgalley for this book. In the format that I received pictures seemed messed up throughout the book. I read it on my Kindle and the pictures didn't format properly, in the ARC I received. The pictures were very mixed up and the pictures were hard to figure out. The pictures were very pretty, but I wasn't sure about most of the pictures were.

But the Brontës are favorite writers of mine, but I loved the way this introduces this fun family to younger readers! Hungry for stories, the Brontës devoured poetry and fables, history and novels. And with the gift of a set of toy soldiers, they were inspired to make tiny books, and write stories of their own . . . a passion that would last them a lifetime.

I think that this would be a fun book for kids and even adults to read. I would recommend it for all ages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed this! Perfect for elementary school readers, informative and interesting without loading too much text per page, very read-aloud-friendly. The illustrations were lovely! Perfect for an elementary school classroom or library.

A beautifully illustrated introduction to "the little Brontes," aka Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell before life dealt them some hard knocks. This little book focuses on the world of imagination and story-telling they inhabited as children. The pictures are lovely, and the text brief but informative and evocative.
Any Bronte-loving parent who looks forward to the time they can introduce their child to Jane Eyre will probably get a kick out of this.

The Little Books of the Little Brontës by Sara O'Leary and illustrated by Briony May Smith is a beautiful slice of the young lives of the famous Brontës and their brother. It dips briefly into the grief of the family at the loss of their mother and other sisters, but stays pretty focused on the rich inner lives of the children. It also gives instruction on how to create little books like the children do and includes a bibliography at the end. This book is probably better suited for older children, but younger kids can enjoy the gorgeous illustrations.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This is one of my new favorite children’s books! It captures the life and times of The Brontes in an honest and captivating way. The illustration and the writing are individually beautiful, but put them together and this book is an absolute treasure!

I received an ARC of this children's book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book with really adorable pictures!

This is a charming book about the Brontë’s perfect for any young reader. This holds all the charm and whimsy that will engage young readers and inspire their desire to learn more about this brilliant family.

The illustrations are beautiful done in soft warm colors. Seeing the illustrated Bronte children made me so happy. They really capture the spirit of these children.

The text sticks to the known facts about their lives and really makes their story come alive. I think this book i a nice inspirational book to help introduce children to the world of classic literature by giving a face and a life to the authors. I highly recommend this book to anyone with children or anyone who teaches children.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this advanced e-copy of this book

Here is the main problem with this this particular book of the Brontës who is the actual intended audience? Although many readers who enjoy one or several of the ladies may find this read to be enjoyed for a quick flip-through the actual Brontë name won't mean really much of anything to any child who comes across this book, especially since they won't be reaching for those types of Classics for a while anyhow.

Furthermore <i>The Little Book of the Little Brontës</i> isn't really written for very young audiences just since the text is a bit heavy and at least on the e-book edition that I was reviewing the font was a bit on the smaller side thus had to be expanded to be able to read. Meanwhile the story starts off with an idea and then it falls away to introduce the reader to the full environment before returning in to its actual theme thus allowing for some rabbit tracks.

Otherwise another thing that bothers me about the book is the choosing of the illustration medium. Some pages were just beautiful and well-detailed although the colors aren't as bright one would expect with a children's book. But character-wise the book is a bit lacking with all of the characters mostly looking like each other and with no discerning features to help differentiate one from the other for those curious to see those differences.

Overlooking any of the previous comments from myself the reader will also find an activity explaining how they can make their own little book if they fell they don't know how to as well as an included author's note and timeline for the Brontë family for those who may want to learn a bit more about this interesting family although the information doesn't seem to really hold any new revelation than what was originally known.

In the end it was a decent snapshot of the Brontës and the time they lived in for younger eyes who may not truly grasp their contributions to literature. Yet alas it also seems to be a book that tends to miss its mark when it comes to selecting its own age-appropriate audience.

**I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Gorgeous illustrations from Briony May Smith and sweet simple text from Sara O'Leary, what more could you want? Potentially a little more substance in the actual story, it felt like a tiny snippet of the Bronte's lives although I think that was the point. A book making guide in the back is a perfect addition.

Completely delightful, beautifully illustrated. A joyous little book to introduce young readers to the Brontes.

This book is so sweet! Hard to really appreciate on my kindle, but enjoyable nonetheless. I look forward to getting a hard copy of it!

This book is perfection. I will be purchasing a hard copy when it comes available. The illustrations have a lot of depth and detail. I love the use of light and shadows to draw your eye around the page. The text in the book is equally inviting and tells the story of the Brontë family. It has a magical feel despite the sadness that they had to endure. The end of the book includes an activity, authors note, and timeline. I feel this is really useful and helps further learning for older students.