I finally bought a copy of this book that I have been admiring for ages: When You Were Small by Sara O’Leary and illustrated by Julie Morstad.

This is my kind of picture book: the narrative gets right into the head of a little person, calling on a childlike, seemingly uninhibited imagination; the illustrations have a beautiful vintage feel and the quality and design of the book production is impeccable with its gold-embossed chocolate cloth spine and egg-shell blue cover.

Henry asks his father to tell him about when he was small, and in response, his father tells him about a time when he was a miniature person: “When you were small we let you sleep in one of my slippers. The left one. You used a fuzzy wash cloth for a blanket and a tea bag for a pillow.” It is a beautiful, whimsical story, conveying a lovely sense of affection between a dad and his little boy.

Author, Sara O’Leary and Julie Mortsad each have their own sites. The book is published by Simply Read Books, publisher of many beautiful and quirky children’s books. I have particular respect for them as the US publishing home of the iconic Australian illustrator and author, Shuan Tan, among other Aussies.