Review Detail

SMALL STEPS, BIG CHANGE is a cute picture book about ways that children can make a difference in the world around them. The book begins by describing climate change, before going into the little things you can do in every day life to help, such as buying local produce and/or with recyclable packaging, conserving energy when you can, and not littering when you go to the beach.

What I loved: This is an approachable way for children to learn about how small things can have a positive impact. The writing is easy to follow and lays out the information as well as clear things that readers can do to help. The illustrations are colorful and adorable on each page, really bringing each scene to life. As it includes quite a bit of text on each page, this book would work best for older picture book readers and would be great for elementary school aged children. It would be a good pick for the classroom or library activity, particularly around Earth Day.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, some of the steps are a bit more abstract, and it is not clear what some of them, such as exercising, has to do with climate change (the second tip is to be active, some later tips are similarly not so clearly related).

Final verdict: Overall, SMALL STEPS, BIG CHANGE is a fun and colorful picture book about ways that children can make a difference in their lives by making careful choices, being kind, and keeping their curiosity. Recommend for elementary school aged readers.