For the Littlest Member of Your Family

The Littlest Yak
Written by Lu Fraser & Illustrated by Kate Hindley
Age Level: 3-6 Years
Published September 3, 2022

Small, but mighty.

We’ve all been there, sometimes your little one’s littleness is a unique asset. You need their slim arms to slide underneath the couch, their tiny fingers to pincer something beyond your grasp, their compact bodies to climb into a space you can’t access. Sometimes being the smallest can be frustrating for them, seeming to come with far more limitations than advantages, but this darling winter story exalts the phase of being mini.

Gertie is the littlest yak in the pack. She is impatient to get big and strong, and she does her best to expedite the process by eating and exercising as much as she can. Gertie is despondent, until one day she is desperately needed by her herd. Another yak is stranded on the narrowest ledge, and Gertie is the only yak who is light enough, small enough, and grippy enough to come to its rescue.

“ ‘You need . . . ME?!’ Gertie gasped,
‘because I’m so . . . small?
My smallness can do something
BIG, after all!’ ”

Even better than this heroic tale where the smallest family member saves the day is the ending’s tender reminder to readers that they won’t be little forever, so enjoy it while they can.