An exquisite new picture book from the author of the beloved This Is Sadie about a little doll whose worldview is about to get a whole lot bigger.
Gemma has always lived in a very nice little house, always slept in the same room and always worn the same clothes. A doll in an old forgotten dollhouse, Gemma wonders if she will ever grow up, but her parents tell her she will always be their little girl. Until, one day, the dollhouse is opened by a GIANT, and Gemma's whole life changes. New things are introduced into the little house -- and Gemma finally has an opportunity to leave what's familiar and see the enormous world beyond.
A story that evokes children's classics, Gemma and the Giant Girl is a gorgeously illustrated and poignant tale of what it feels like to be small in a big world and how even the smallest among us can take charge of our own destinies.
NOMINEE
| 2022 Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award
HONOR
| 2022 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
"In this cozy, domestic setting, O’Leary explores what happens as the mind takes in new information that expands one’s world." —Publishers Weekly
"Sara O’Leary’s empathetic text, and Marie Lafrance’s imaginative pictures, transport young readers to Gemma’s world from outside in and inside out. . . . [A] gentle exploration of childhood." —Imaginary Elevators
"Four stars." —Library Matters
"[A] delightful tale, one that is sure to be a favorite for many." —Story Monsters Ink
SARA O'LEARY is the author of many beloved picture books for children, including This Is Sadie, which was adapted by the New York City Children's Theatre, and its follow-up, This Is Ruby. Among her most recent books for children are Gemma and the Giant Girl, the recipient of several honors in Canada, and Maud and Grand-Maud, which received three starred reviews. Sara is also the author of the adult novel A Ghost in the House. A graduate of the UBC Creative Writing Program, she has taught screenwriting and writing for children at Concordia University in Montreal.
View titles by Sara O'Leary
Marie Lafrance was born in Quebec City. She studied graphic arts at a CEGEP in Vieux-Montréal and etching at Studio Graff. Marie has lived in San Francisco and New York, where she worked as a silk-screen printmaker for various galleries. She returned to Montreal to work as a freelance illustrator. Marie loves the diversity of her work, she has illustrated textbooks, magazines, books, and posters. Marie serves on the board of the Association des Illustrateurs et Illustratrices du Québec (AIIQ), where she is also a past-president. She has been nominated for many awards, including the prestigious Governor General’s Award for her illustration of Richardo Keens-Douglas’s La Diablesse and the Baby, which also received an Alcuin Society Design Award citation. Marie lives with her partner and their daughter, Béatrice.
View titles by Marie Lafrance
An exquisite new picture book from the author of the beloved This Is Sadie about a little doll whose worldview is about to get a whole lot bigger.
Gemma has always lived in a very nice little house, always slept in the same room and always worn the same clothes. A doll in an old forgotten dollhouse, Gemma wonders if she will ever grow up, but her parents tell her she will always be their little girl. Until, one day, the dollhouse is opened by a GIANT, and Gemma's whole life changes. New things are introduced into the little house -- and Gemma finally has an opportunity to leave what's familiar and see the enormous world beyond.
A story that evokes children's classics, Gemma and the Giant Girl is a gorgeously illustrated and poignant tale of what it feels like to be small in a big world and how even the smallest among us can take charge of our own destinies.
Awards
NOMINEE
| 2022 Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award
HONOR
| 2022 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
Reviews
"In this cozy, domestic setting, O’Leary explores what happens as the mind takes in new information that expands one’s world." —Publishers Weekly
"Sara O’Leary’s empathetic text, and Marie Lafrance’s imaginative pictures, transport young readers to Gemma’s world from outside in and inside out. . . . [A] gentle exploration of childhood." —Imaginary Elevators
"Four stars." —Library Matters
"[A] delightful tale, one that is sure to be a favorite for many." —Story Monsters Ink
Author
SARA O'LEARY is the author of many beloved picture books for children, including This Is Sadie, which was adapted by the New York City Children's Theatre, and its follow-up, This Is Ruby. Among her most recent books for children are Gemma and the Giant Girl, the recipient of several honors in Canada, and Maud and Grand-Maud, which received three starred reviews. Sara is also the author of the adult novel A Ghost in the House. A graduate of the UBC Creative Writing Program, she has taught screenwriting and writing for children at Concordia University in Montreal.
View titles by Sara O'Leary
Marie Lafrance was born in Quebec City. She studied graphic arts at a CEGEP in Vieux-Montréal and etching at Studio Graff. Marie has lived in San Francisco and New York, where she worked as a silk-screen printmaker for various galleries. She returned to Montreal to work as a freelance illustrator. Marie loves the diversity of her work, she has illustrated textbooks, magazines, books, and posters. Marie serves on the board of the Association des Illustrateurs et Illustratrices du Québec (AIIQ), where she is also a past-president. She has been nominated for many awards, including the prestigious Governor General’s Award for her illustration of Richardo Keens-Douglas’s La Diablesse and the Baby, which also received an Alcuin Society Design Award citation. Marie lives with her partner and their daughter, Béatrice.
View titles by Marie Lafrance
