I loved this book! I collect versions of Wuthering Heights, so I have a soft spot for the Brontes. This was a beautiful retelling of their childhood. I loved reading more about them at the end of the book and following the timeline. The photos added an a beautiful element to the feeling of the moors. I am a teacher and I would definitely love reading this book to my students!

The team of Sara O'Leary (author) and Briony May Smith (illustrator) has provided the world with an appealing retelling of the real life origins of the Brontë siblings: Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. Perched on the edge of the moors, in Haworth Parsonage, West Yorkshire, England, the Brontë children learned to read, entertain themselves and tell each other stories. Using the limited resources at hand, they made books for themselves within which they wrote the adventures of their heroes, villains and domestic achievements of their homemade characters. The story is deftly told, focusing on the bonds of the four children and their father, stopping short of later years and darker times for the family.

Evocative illustrations engage the reader, and are worthy of mention. One such scene is during play, as arresting shadows rise up the walls out of the jumble of childish texts and toys scattered about their playroom - the artwork completely captivates and fully supports the author-built world. In another scene, a mealtime moment is shown using an unusual overhead perspective. The artist gently captures the bereft loneliness of the little family missing two siblings and their mother lost to recent deaths. . .a cat curled up in mother's empty chair is the discerning reader's only comfort. Even the text layout supports brilliantly: the author's words occupy the empty table space of missing members.

This endearing picture book shares the childhood circumstances of women who provided us with the classic reads Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, among others. Bonus bits included are "How to Make Your Own Little Book," such as the one Charlotte made Anne, an informative Author's Note, and a helpful timeline.

This one is not to be missed!

A Sincere Thank You to Sara O'Leary, Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Books, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

This is a charming slice-of-life tale of the Brontes. It invites little voyeurs to experience their play and creativity. Perhaps this can foster in children and in the guardians who care for them the importance of being creativity and using ones imagination to craft entertainment. I will read this in the store on a rainy day.

A beautiful read about the power of imagination, books and stories ❤️ I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the childhoods of the Bronte children and found the timeline at the end to be very informative. The illustrations are gorgeous while the art style felt so fitting. Overall, this was a rather bittersweet book that left me feeling wistful...

This book is adorable! I love how the story shows a simpler life. I love how it shows what they did as kids influenced who they became.

The pictures are beautiful! A great book for young and old.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Ok, I adored this!!!! I wasn’t entirely aware that I had requested a children’s picture book, so I was a lil surprised, but it was a very pleasant surprise!!!

The artwork in this was absolutely stunning. The illustrations are just perfection, they are cute & colorful to appeal to children but maintain a very sophisticated color palate & appropriate vibe overall to match the victorian subject matter.

The story itself was a bit sparse, but I think it worked considering the topic/story. It was the best possible way to take an otherwise advanced & somewhat tragic story and turn it into something that is age appropriate for children. I really really think the way that the author tackled the ending was as perfect as it could possibly be.

While not exactly some in depth story, we’re not reading this for the character development after all, it still managed to get a basic outline of the Bronte sisters lives across in a clear & concise way. I don’t think this will be a story book that every single kid is going to love, but I do think it will be cherished by a certain type of little. I myself would have loved this as a kid! The illustrations are just very aesthetically appealing & beautiful, I want to take each page and put it into a frame!

I will absolutely be buying this book when it comes out to keep on my shelf to own for myself and hopefully my own daughter one day or perhaps nieces. As a Bronte lover, I consider this to be a must have!

My daughter and I read this book together. She really enjoyed it and actually wants to know more about the Brontes now and their stories. It's a very cute little story, and the illustrations are amazing. Very great book for kids.

Turn back time and glide into the cozy and creative world of the Bronte siblings in Sara O’Leary’s delightful picture book, The Little Books of the Little Brontës.

This charming true story introduces young readers and others to the early lives of the Bronte children: Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. With gentle prose and period-perfect illustrations, The Little Books of the Little Brontës invites readers into the Bronte home on the wild moors as they pursue their love for stories, reading, and writing. It shows readers who the Brontës were and what they did before they wrote books for the whole world to read and enjoy.

The story begins as we peer through a window into the Bronte home. Charlotte is hand-printing and hand-stitching pages together in a book she’s written for her little sister, Anne. The narrative continues, filling us in on pertinent details of the Brontës’ early life without overwhelming young readers with a factoid dump. The former includes how two older sisters died, as did their mother. It also introduces their father, aunt, and housekeeper, Tabby. We see that the Brontës are a close-knit family. They have many pets and vivid imaginations.

The Bronte children are a world unto themselves. They seldom venture further than they can walk. Yet the worlds of their imaginations are vast and rich. When their father brings Branwell a box of wooden toy soldiers, their imaginations soar. The siblings have found their heroes, and their stories reflect same. Although the children eventually outgrow the toy soldiers, they never outgrow their stories. They keep writing and reading. When the children grow up, they write and publish novels that have been loved and enjoyed for centuries and are still read today.

This is a delightful story. The tone is soft and informative without being pedantic. It gently reveals backstories to the Bronte lives that may be unfamiliar to some readers. Pitch-perfect pacing moves the story along briskly. Briony May Smith’s beautiful watercolor illustrations complement the gentle and evocative narration.

This clever, highly readable book will appeal to young readers. It’s a perfect read aloud to help children wind down at the end of the day. Adult readers and Bronte fans will also enjoy The Little Books of the Little Brontës.

I enjoyed this book, especially the illustrations. As an elementary teacher this is a great addition to a classroom library. I wish it included a little more information about the characters and what they were known for.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

While it is a young child’s beautiful lay illustrated picture book. It tells the true tale of the Bronte children. It was a sad time in that their mother and two oldest sisters had passed away leaving the children’s aunt and housekeeper to help their father take care of the children. The children devoured every book they could find.. They were allowed to go out and play among the moors finding their own adventures to go and explore. One day Charlotte decided to make a little book just for Anne, she would make it the size of Anne’s hand so she set out to cut down the paper and fashion the book cover from pieces of wallpaper remnants and sew the book together. She gathered her water colors and painted a house, a castle and a ship. In the story Anne is an only child living in a house with papa and momma. They go to London to see the castles then they take a ship to sail the seas the story has a happy ending. The Brontes would continue making these tiny books throughout their lifetime. The family never actually traveled much farther than they could walk but they had such a vivid imagination to paint such vivid stories and pictures in our minds that have lasted all these years later.As an adult, I still enjoyed the book immensely. Thanks to the following for allowing me to review early. I definitely would recommend to young and old alike.
#NetGalley
#PenguineRandomHouse
#SaraO’Leary
Pub Date: 27 Oct, 2023

I would have absolutely adored this picture book as a child. “The Little Book of the Little Bronte’s” is not only the perfect introduction to classic literature for young readers, but it is also an engaging read for the adult in their life.

In this picture book, you are introduced to Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell Bronte and their life as they grow up and fall in love with books. This story is a little more sombre than I had expected, as it briefly touches on loss, but it will surely ignite the future storytellers of the next generation.

I also adored the features toward the ends that included guides on how to create your own little book, a historical timeline, and more factoids. It is a wonderful conversation starter and will ignite a lot of imagination. Overall, the illustrations and story were moving, and I recommend this story for readers between 3 and 5!

Thank you, Net Galley, for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.