A Big Surprise for Little Card

Fall in love with a disarming picture-book hero in this quirky ode to spirit, identity, and the joy of having (or being) a library card.

In the world of cards, each one has a special job to do. Big Card keeps important papers in order. Tiny Card can be exchanged for a prize in an arcade. Round Card hangs out in a glamorous boutique. But is any card as lucky as Little Card? He’s going to school to become a birthday card — in other words, to sing, play games, eat cake, and be happy all day long. But wait! On the day he’s supposed to take his talents into the world, Long Card tells him there’s been a mix-up and they need to trade jobs. How can Little Card bring his exuberance into a library, a quiet place of books and rules and hushing? Offbeat and utterly endearing, this tale of a little guy who gives it all he’s got is complete with a sweet twist and a surprise ending.

Charise Mericle Harper has written and/or illustrated more than twenty books for children, including the Just Grace series. Born in Vancouver, Canada, she now lives in New York State.

Anna Raff has illustrated several books for children, including World Rat Day by J. Patrick Lewis. Her illustrations have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Kiwi magazine, among other publications, and she is the creator of Ornithoblogical, a blog of bird-related imagery. She is on the faculty of the School of Visual Arts Illustration Summer Residency Program in New York City, where she lives.