ABOUT THE BOOK
Little Raccoon has a question.
It is a question for his mother.
"When do you love me most of all?" he asks.
Of course, one question leads to another.
"Is it when I wake up?"
And another.
"Is it when I play in the trees?"
And another and another and another.
Little Raccoon has lots of questions.
How many answers does his mother have?
Just one.
ARTIST'S NOTE
I liked Little Raccoon from the moment I met him. In my pictures, I tried to show him as an independent creature, who, young as he is, can do things for himself, like bathe, dress, brush his teeth, and ask tough questions. He is confident, not clingy, and yet is still vulnerable to certain doubts. I also tried to show that his mother respects his independence and gives him room to be active - to climb a tree, or swim in a pond - without wringing her paws.
I worked on this book for about 16 months, from first reading the manuscript to delivering the finished paintings. Above all, I wanted to create a believable and an emotionally true world for Little Raccoon and his mother and felt that the simplicity of the text could best be rounded out with rich, warm, and colorful paintings. In my attempt to capture light that could define a mood, I often referred to the paintings of George Caleb Bingham and N. C. Wyeth. Both artists could realize a time, a place, and a feeling so vividly that, when I look at their pictures, my other senses are activated. As I painted, I tried to get at this elusive quality, where I could smell the smoke and hear the crackle of the fire in the fireplace, hear the wind rustle the cat-tails, and smell the fragrant summer air. In fact, I got so immersed in my work that I began to have regular dreams about Little Raccoon and his world. I hope people who read the book will, too.
PRAISE
"Little Raccoon does for motherly love what Olivia did for self-esteem. A treat from beginning to end."
– BRIAN SELZNICK, Caldecott Honor artist
"Little Raccoon's Big Question is a wonder. The text is just right and the pictures have enough charm and wit for ten books. The combination makes for a rare thing - a sweet, warmhearted children's book that is truly for children (and the lucky adults who get to share it with them)."
– KEVIN HENKES, Newbery Honor author
"Ian Schoenherr's impish, irresistable raccoon will go straight to your heart and stay there. The gestures and expressions are priceless."
– BETSY LEWIN, Caldecott Honor artist
"Hooray! The words are strong and beautiful, and the pictures truly superb. Adults will want to read it out loud, and more importantly, kids will want to listen. This one should be around for a very long time."
– SUSAN HIRSCHMAN, founding publisher of Greenwillow Books
A lovely book, made even lovelier by Schoenherr's winsome illustrations. Like Mother Raccoon's answer, now is the best time to read this with your toddler or preschooler. And, read it over and over.
– CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
Schoenherr's ink-and-acrylic paintings in warm golds and browns echo the warmth of the story. The spreads are rich in cozy detail, and Little Raccoon is irresistible as he playacts in his towel at bath time or cavorts in the trees. Pair this with Sam McBratney's Guess How Much I Love You for two bedtime stories that guarantee sweet dreams.
– SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
As Little Raccoon winds down his day, he asks his mother, "When do you love me most of all?" With Schlein nailing the timbre of pint-sized insistence (not to mention resistance), and Schoenherr reveling in the hero's wide-eyed theatricality, this elegant, warmhearted book is off to a running start. As Little Raccoon formulates variations on his question, Schoenherr moves between spot illustrations chronicling the bedtime preparations to full-bleed, exquisitely stippled flashbacks from the duo's daily routine. The spreads exude a luxuriant, reassuring feel, and subtly temper Little Raccoon's rather relentless energy. And Schoenherr has a wonderful sense of volume and space. When the bushy-tailed hero wonders if his mother loves him best, "at feeding time, when I wash my paws and wash my food and am very neat when I eat? Is it then? Is that when?" the artist depicts their cozy kitchen, where the youngster perches on a boulder, chewing on a golden ear of corn as wide as he is tall; sunlight dapples every surface and illuminates his mother's fur.
– PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
Little Raccoon's Big Question
by Miriam Schlein
pictures by Ian Schoenherr
Greenwillow Books (March 2004)
32 pages
