Look! Said the Little Girl product reviews

My children are keen readers and are also very aware that in life some people will be differently abled, or have some medical issues, this is the case with one of their friends who has diabetes, and it is wonderful to see that all the children in their school do not treat him any differently to any of the others. This story is about a young girl interpreting the world around her to an old man who must not be able to see very well, or if at all. The author has not given the characters names, which my children found hard to get their heads around.

The images throughout the book use vibrant colours paired with some softer colours for texture, the detail is superb, and I especially liked how the illustrator Aleksandra Szmidt had a knack for making the pictures come alive in a childlike way. My personal favourite page was where the scarf was actually a dragon from the girl's words!

The story in itself is pretty short and basic, but beautiful all the same, the words that the girl uses to describe the different items to the old man are entertaining to say the least. The ladybird description was by far my favourite, and now my boys will only refer to ladybirds as 'tiny turtles in little fancy dresses' whenever they see them in our garden. I believe the message to take away from the story is strong, we can be different and still help people with our different skills and strengths, and I liked how the old man joined in the little girl's game by describing what he heard in a playful manner too.

This is a captivating story and we thoroughly enjoyed it, this one is now off to our small local school for the 20 or so children to also enjoy as part of their library.

Miss Five and Mr Four are fast developing an addiction to reading! They respond to attractive graphics that use bold colours, and enjoy a good storyline - especially one they can relate to their own experiences. They thought the illustrations in this book were beautiful; the red scarf prompted several comments and questions. Mr Four even wondered if his own scarf might have morphed into a dragon's tongue.

It is certainly true that small children have vivid imaginations; it is fascinating to hear some of their creative reactions to what they encounter. The words the little girl uses to describe what she sees so that the old man can visualise them are easy to follow - the idea of a tiny turtle in fancy dress turning out to be a ladybird is utterly delightful. Later in the book, when the old man uses his hearing to describe the sounds around them, it becomes clear that it is possible to experience the world in more than one way. Miss Five was impressed by the comparison between cicada noise and popcorn popping!

Although the story is quite low-key in comparison to other stories for this age-group, it does present an important lesson in an accessible way. Both the little girl and the old man have a special sensory ability; by working together they can learn from each other and make sense of the world. Their co-dependent relationship means that they have developed a firm friendship and mutual respect. Children learn values more readily when they are presented in a fun way; as a bedtime story, this book is ideal for both preschoolers and slightly older children.

I found myself wondering about the relationship between the two characters. We thought they might be grandfather and granddaughter; they appear to be very close as they go for their walk, experiencing their surrounds through various sights, sounds, and smells. It adds to the universality of the story that neither character is named; they are simply the Little Girl and the Old Man.

There is also a Little Boy who comes in towards the end of the story with his sweet smelling strawberries to share, although he was hovering in the background earlier in the book just waiting to be included! We decided that he is probably the Little Girl's friend rather than her brother as he was not actually on the walk with the other two. But he adds to the theme of friendship and using a particular sense to identify something by offering some of his fruit to them because "that is a taste to be shared".