The Littlest Drop

This empowering picture book celebrates the idea that every one of us -- from the smallest to the largest -- has something to offer, and if we all work together, we can make the world a better, greener place.

When a fire starts near their home, all of the animals—from the largest elephant to the smallest ant—are too scared to do anything but watch. All, that is, except for one tiny hummingbird. She knows she must do something to save her nest. She must do what she can.

This simple, poignant fable, featuring Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney’s final illustrations—completed after his death by his son, Brian Pinkney, also an award-winning illustrator—reminds us that we all have the power to change the world, no matter how little we may be.

Sascha Alper is an author and literary agent, who lives in Brooklyn, NY  with her husband. THE LITTLEST DROP is her debut picture book.

Jerry Pinkney was one of America’s most acclaimed illustrators. He won the Caldecott Medal and five Caldecott Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, five New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Awards, the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, the Society of Illustrators’ Original Art Show Lifetime Achievement Award, and many other prizes and honors. His long list of celebrated titles includes Mirandy and Brother Wind, The-All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion & The Mouse. Jerry's work has been exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Schomburg Center, the Norman Rockwell Museum, and many more. Brian Pinkney has illustrated numerous picture books, including The Dark-Thirty; Hip-Hop Lollipop; Let's Clap, Jump, Sing, & Shout; Dance, Spin, & Turn It Out; and In the Time of the Drums. His many awards include two Caldecott Honors, a Coretta Scott King Illustration Award, four Coretta Scott King Illustration Honors, and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Brian lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and frequent collaborator, Andrea Davis Pinkney.