The Littlest Yak

This is a delightful picture book with the addition of a variety of hats featuring throughout too. It’s a book about Gertie, the littlest yak who lives with big yaks and they all wear super cool hats. Gertie wants to grow up so that she’s not the smallest yak any more and is in quite a hurry to do it. She believes that it will be much better and she will be more capable when she is older. So it’s a great book for lots of PSHE and a lovely one for parents who will understand Mummy yak reassuring: saying she’s got plenty of time to do all those things and to grow up slowly. It’s also a book about celebrating individual talents and realising we all have special skills-big or small.

In order to grow up Gertie devises a ‘growing up’ plan. The rhyme really comes into its own on the pages although it is lively and engaging through the whole book. It just works really sweetly with the little pictures of Gertie eating veg, hopping, skipping and all endeavouring to grow up more quickly. My favourite page is her sitting on top of a pile of books…..”and she read lots of books to make her thoughts grow (Because grown ups have big things to think and to know).”

Kate Hindley’s illustrations are quirky and lively – they really bring the pages to life. The layout has a range of sizes to the pictures which makes is visually appealing too. It’s a really sweet story where Gertie, of course, comes to realise that there are good things about being small when she is called upon as the only one able to run a rescue mission.

The woolly hats with their dangly decorations just really add to the feel of the book which is a fun and feel good all round read.