The Flea

"Once there was a little flea who thought that he was too little . . ." And so begins an innocent quest. The flea wants to be bigger. He scales a pea. Then scales an apple. He climbs atop a flower, a plant, a tree, a home . . . a telephone wire, a skyscraper . . . finally, the flea finds himself on a cloud! Down below, a bear notices him. So, is the flea now big? Or just high up? The Flea uses appealingly stylized art, simple text, humorous twists, and one very determined flea to give young readers a light lesson on the importance of perspective and the malleable meaning of words. Quick paced, silly, and loaded with a funny twist ending, The Flea is indeed bigger than its humble exterior belies.

A writer of children's books and poems, Laurie Cohen has also studied film as a director and writer. The author of several children's books, including other titles with The Flea illustrator Marjorie Béal, she lives in Paris. Author and illustrator Marjorie Béal is passionate about graphic arts and children's literature, a field in which she has illustrated numerous books. She lives in Bordeaux, France.