When Stella was Very, Very Small

When Stella was Very, Very Small

Written by: Gay, Marie-Louise
Illustrated by: Gay, Marie-Louise
ages 2 to 5 / grades P to K

In this book in the Stella and Sam series, Marie-Louise Gay has gone back in time to answer the questions often asked by the children who read and love the books.

Where does Stella get her wild ideas? How big is Stella's imagination? What did Stella look like when she was small? How did Stella come to be the big sister to Sam that we all know and love?

Although Marie-Louise Gay didn't know what she would find when she started to explore Stella's childhood, she soon realized that when Stella was very small, she saw the world in her own unique way -- with wonder, curiosity and the sense that everything is possible. And when Sam came along, what could be more natural than to pass this sense of wonder on to him?

A story of a lovely, tiny Stella, whose world is full of small adventures and slivers of magic.

In this book in the Stella and Sam series, Marie-Louise Gay has gone back in time to answer the questions often asked by the children who read and love the books.

Where does Stella get her wild ideas? How big is Stella's imagination? What did Stella look like when she was small? How did Stella come to be the big sister to Sam that we all know and love?

Although Marie-Louise Gay didn't know what she would find when she started to explore Stella's childhood, she soon realized that when Stella was very small, she saw the world in her own unique way -- with wonder, curiosity and the sense that everything is possible. And when Sam came along, what could be more natural than to pass this sense of wonder on to him?

A story of a lovely, tiny Stella, whose world is full of small adventures and slivers of magic.

Published By Groundwood Books Ltd — Aug 13, 2011
Specifications 32 pages | 9 in x 9 in
Written By

MARIE-LOUISE GAY is an internationally acclaimed children's book creator whose work has been translated into more than 20 languages. She has won many awards including two Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children’s Literature, the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Picture Book Award. She has also been nominated for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.

Illustrated by

MARIE-LOUISE GAY is an internationally acclaimed children's book creator whose work has been translated into more than 20 languages. She has won many awards including two Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children’s Literature, the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Picture Book Award. She has also been nominated for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.

Written By

MARIE-LOUISE GAY is an internationally acclaimed children's book creator whose work has been translated into more than 20 languages. She has won many awards including two Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children’s Literature, the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Picture Book Award. She has also been nominated for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.

Illustrated by

MARIE-LOUISE GAY is an internationally acclaimed children's book creator whose work has been translated into more than 20 languages. She has won many awards including two Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children’s Literature, the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Picture Book Award. She has also been nominated for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.

Audience ages 2 to 5 / grades P to K

Long-listed, OLA Blue Spruce Award, 2010

Short-listed, QWF Award for Children's Lit, 2009

“Stella's dynamic world and big sister charisma will pay off for fans of the gentle series.” —Publishers Weekly

“If you've ever wondered how Stella got so imaginative, wonder no more…Enchanting overhead views subtly drive home how being small makes the world seem big, and young listeners will feel encouraged to laugh at their own past foibles.” —Booklist

“The charming illustrations, rendered in watercolour, pastel and collage, depict red-headed Stella's antics in great detail and from a variety of perspectives. Young readers will wish they could be just like Stella, or at least have a big sister like her. Stella is both wonderful and full of wonder - purely glorious.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“In this eighth book in the [Stella and Sam] series, Gay has lost none of the spirit and humour that has distinguished her earlier books…This new one demonstrates her sure touch with both watercolour pictures and text…[and] is rich in sensory experiences from the perspective of the small…” —Quill and Quire, starred review

“With Stella, Gay encourages us to see the world a little bit differently and to take notice of the wonder in everyday life.” —Children's Book News

“[A] delightful series…Gay's mixed-media scenes dance…Subtle and sweet, yet full of life and humor, [Stella's] world is a place kids will want to visit again and again.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Marie-Louise Gay never fails to delight…” —Globe and Mail

“Gay is an expert at picture books and seems to crawl right into a preschooler's psyche…the child's perspective in space, her interpretation of the world…are all wrapped up in a few vivid images…[F]or the adult who shares these books with children, there's a secret pleasure in the rightness and lightness of Gay's vision.” —Toronto Star