This was great! It’s a short, sweet, and digestible biography of the Brontes for children. The illustrations were beautiful and engaging. I will definitely be purchasing a copy of this book for my children and gifting it to others.

I enjoyed this picture book about the Brontë children. The illustrations were so lovely and really added to the story. The colored pencil drawings were created with a soft color palette that evoked memory and history. I didn’t know much about the Brontës as children so it was nice to learn a little more about them. They exhibited so much creativity with so few toys! The timeline and historical notes at the back of the book were very welcome. I used to make my own books when I was little so I definitely felt a kinship with the kids.

What a beautiful story and book. The illustrations are classic and the story is very informative. This would be a great book to add to a classroom for children to learn from. The Brontes had the best imaginations and that's what made their stories so amazing!

This was absolutely beautiful. The illustrations were lovely. My children and I were all captivated; start to finish! This is one we'll return to again and again. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

A story about ordinary kids living in a different time but with minds that give them stories to get by. Such a great way to introduce kids to the concept of writing their own stories.

An absolutely gorgeous book, perfect for at home learning, and curious little minds.

I’m obsessed with the Brontë siblings (it’s even my daughter’s middle name) so this will absolutely be a book that I purchase for our home library. The art is stunning, and the story is simple, yet moving.

I personally love the added art instruction at the end, encouraging readers to create their own mini book, much like the Brontes did!

I've always been intrigued by the story of the Bronte sisters and their brother, and I love that this picture book biography both tells their story, and includes instructions for how readers can make their own tiny books, and start their own journeys into storytelling. Beautiful illustrations of a fascinating family that continues to impact the world through their writing.

Briony May Smith stole the show with her illustrations as usual. Absolutely adorable and sweet to see the Bronte sisters in her style. I do wish the text had been more of a story about the girls rather than being presented in a way like you are being told. It was a very direct kind of writing with "look here" and "see this" rather than a narrative. I am sure it will sell, and it's always lovely to see the Brontes being introduced to a younger audience.

The illustrations were beautiful and I did enjoyed the story about the Brontë children, their imaginative play, love for storytelling and creativity for making little books. I’m just not sure this story will appeal to the young minds I know that fall within the audience the story is intended for. It’s a children’s book, and as a lover of the Brontë sisters and their books, I can appreciate this rendition as an introduction to their childhood, but the story also speaks to the death of the children’s mother and older siblings, and while this was not uncommon for their time, it could be a bit heavy for a younger child. I did enjoy the instruction on making a little book, I think that could inspire young readers to create their own little story books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read and review an advance digital copy of this story that will be available 17-Oct-2023. This is my honest review and all opinions expressed above are my own.

This was a really sweet book. I enjoyed the illustrations, and the story. This is a great introduction to the Brontes for children and would be a great addition to a classroom or library. The timeline at the end is also very helpful. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital advanced copy!

4/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Sara O'Leary for allowing me to read and review this book.

I love the idea of children's books featuring authors and books. As someone who was a huge reader in my childhood, I would have loved being able to read about the lives of authors without having to read an entire biography. The pictures are beautiful and the story is well-written and child friendly. It's also interesting/entertaining to read as an adult.

I do not currently have any children, but I definitely plan on buying this book for my future children to read to them.

This picture book is phenomenal if you enjoy bitesized biographies. It paints the Moors where the Brontë's grew up to be the perfect place for imaginations to run wild! I will definitely be recommending this book once it’s out.

The Little Books of the Little Brontes is a non-fiction picture book about the Bronte sisters.

The book is about the childhood of the Bronte sisters and how they spent their time in the moor by creating stories. The story of the Bronte sisters is about loss, hope, family, and imagination. I loved the illustrations in this book. They were a window into the past of the Bronte sisters, where they lived, and how they lived.

The Little Books of the Little Brontes is a great non-fiction read for wannabe writers. This book will spark curiosity and encourage little ones to keep dreaming and creating.

I love Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, so I was very excited to get an advance copy of this book! It is just lovely. The illustrations, the story, the emphasis on the joy of books, all make this a worthwhile read to your little ones to teach them about a family that has had a centuries-long impact on English literature..

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I remember doing a report on Charlotte Brontë in high school and reading that the women used pseudonyms for their books since books by women didn’t sell as well as books by men. Apparently men back then didn’t think women could be authors; but oh how wrong they were! I liked that the kids treasured what they had and had a love for reading. The artwork was great and I liked that the kids’ shadows were knights and dragons. The timeline was a nice touch as well.

Special story with great illustrations!

This book tells the story of the four youngest Bronte children. As an adult, we would make the story sad because their mother and two older sisters have died. But the story is not sad. It is about children with great imaginations and the need to write. The book that Charlotte writes for her youngest sister, Anne is really neat and fits her small hands. I am sure that Anne really liked the story because she was an only child that went on a great adventure.

When their father came home from his trip, he was probably surprised that the most popular gift was the toy soldiers for his son. Each of the four children adopted a soldier and wrote small books about what happened to the soldiers. This story is based on fact and is really neat. It shows that what children imagine can come true for them as adults. The illustrations are really special and very cute.

Then there are a couple of pages at the end of the book that have directions for a child to make their own book. So clever to include. Then there is information on The Brontes and a timeline for their lives.

What a great book to give children - positive and inspiring!

The Little Books of the Little Brontës

by Sara O’Leary
illustrated by Briony May Smith

This little book of historical fiction introduces children to the famous Brontë family. The girls, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne, and their brother Branwell are raised by their father who is a vicar, their aunt, and a housekeeper. They grow up in relative poverty, but have a fun life with much time to exercise their creativity as they are homeschooled and spend a lot of time exploring the moors. Almost anywhere they go would be by foot.

The Little Books of the Little Brontës tells how they loved to read and as children they made tiny books for each other and for their toy soldiers. As they grew older, their reading passion was turned to writing. The sisters died young, but their books are still eagerly read today.

I enjoyed this fictional view of the Brontës’ childhood. It is easy for children to follow. I particularly liked the illustrations; they are delicate, detailed, and whimsical. After explaining that the sisters had short lives, the author takes the reader back to their happy early years which is a sweet ending and very appropriate to a children’s book.

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

Rating: 5/5

Category: Children’s Fiction, Historical Fiction

Notes: 1. Includes directions on how to make a little book.
2. There are Author’s Notes containing information about the family for adults.
3. The book ends with an extensive Bibliography.
4. Ages 5-9, Grades K-4
5. Print length: 40 pages.

Publication: October 17, 2023—Tundra (Penguin, Random House Canada)

Memorable Lines: (which is also the first sentence)

Many years before you were born,
sometime in the long ago,
a child named Charlotte Brontë
made a little book for her little sister Anne.

This short, illustrated children’s book is about the early lives of the Brontë siblings, specifically revolving around their imaginations. It also focuses on how the sisters first became inspired to write and the relationships between the siblings.

The illustrations in this work are gorgeous. I loved the colors used and how well it depicted the gloominess of the moors and the brightness of the children’s creativity. There was beautiful symbolism incorporated throughout, and the illustrator did an excellent job at showing the imaginations of the children.

At the end of the work, it includes instructions on how to make your own little book. There’s also an interesting discussion of the actual little books the Brontë siblings made, a timeline of events from their lives, and a bibliography, which is quite impressive for a children’s book! I think this would be a lovely addition to a classroom for younger children or for adults who love the Brontë’s works and have younger children in their lives. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for allowing me to read this work, which will be published in October 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I read an ARC of this book and formatting for ARCs usually leaves a lot to be desired. This was no exception. Children’s books really aren’t great for digital galleys.

From what I could see of the illustrations, they look very cute and I think little children would love them. The story is sweet and I liked the additional timeline at the end and the craft that I think kids would love! I would get this book for my nieces and nephews.

For what it is, it gets 4 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and a favorable review was not required.

Charming little book that even i learned quite a bit from, even being an adult. Absolutely beautiful illustrations. My favorite part though was the end after the storybook part was over and the author showed the reader how they could make their own little books the way the Brontes did. That is followed by more historical information and a timeline of their lives. Its very cleverly put together.