Open this little book by Jesse Klausmeier illustrated by Suzy Lee

You really can't judge a book by its cover! ... A delightful and timely 

homage to reading and, more, to books themselves. 

Kirkus star review

Why oh why have they let this book go out of print? Open this little book and inside you find a little red book about ladybirds, then there is a little green book about a frog. The little orange book is about a rabbit and the little yellow book has a honey comb cover - wait a minute does each cover give you a clue about the contents?  YES. So this is a book about colours, and books and reading and the fun of discovery inside a book. 

See inside this book here at Seven Impossible Things before Breakfast. Here is a ten minute audio interview with the author.

Here are some ideas for using this book. The author Jessie Klausmeier calls this book a "Russian nesting doll". Here is the book trailer.

The artwork in Open the Little Book is particularly vibrant, which makes perfect sense considering much of the storyline is based on colours. Interestingly, we are used to more subtly coloured drawings from Suzy Lee and the artwork she has created here is a distinct departure from her usual style. But it is a joy to pore over these vivid drawings, there is such intricate detail, each reading becomes a new experience. Library Mice

I thought I had talked about this book previously but I just put it into a post about Suzy Lee. Read more about Suzy and her work on Open this little book here.  

Look carefully at the characters. What is that white rabbit carrying? Well, of course, it is a pocket watch. Is the rabbit carrying the watch when he heads home afterwards? You know, he isn’t. Such a small detail, and yet through it and a myriad of other seemingly minor details, the book takes on another powerful layer of meaning.

The 2024 Children's Book Council of Australia slogan for Book Week is Reading is Magic. Open this little book would be a perfect book to use as you begin to discuss this idea.

Open this little book was the 2014 winner of Please Touch Museum book award: Established in 1985, the Please Touch Museum’s Book Awards have been unique in highlighting some of the best examples of storytelling for young children that help foster a life-long love of reading. All book selections are distinguished in text, illustration and ability to explore and clarify an idea or concept for young children 7 and under.

Other awards

• 2013 Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor for Excellence in Children's Literature
• 2014 Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
• 2013 Huffington Post Best Picture Book of the Year

The best book to pair with Open this little book is one of my all-time favourites:

1 is for One