'Charles Dickens' by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara with illustrations by Isobel Ross is a kid-sized biography of the famous writer.

Charles Dickens grew up in England and liked to make up stories. When his father was sent to debtor's prison, Charles learned about factory work. His experiences and observations made him one of the world's greatest authors.

The story is enhanced by the great illustrations by Isobel Ross with some hidden Easter eggs in the illustrations for those who know the work of Dickens.

Charles Dickens is another new children's book in the Little People, Big Dream series written by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. This story about the famous author is a great introduction to young readers. Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

SYNOPSIS

Charles Dickens is a micro biography staring the eponymous man himself. Charles Dickens is part of the hugely popular Little People BIG DREAMS Series. Vegara has focused on one of Englands favorite authors. Only one other author ever came close in popularity, that being Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the writer of Sherlock Holmes.

In this monograph Vegara writes to her audience of 4-7 year olds. Simple sentence structures and short paragraphs make up the concise history of Dickens.

The book begins well, however the end comes too quickly and lacks detail of the latter part of his life. Vegara did include a more formal chronology at the close. This short chronology is accompanied by plates of Charles Dickens as he aged.

CONCLUSION

Charles Dickens by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara and illustrated by Isobel Ross is a brief partial history of the great man.

It is age appropriate and the illustrations enhance the readers overall experience. The illustrations were both informative and fully supported the written narrative. They are fun and add color to the story.

Overall, Charles Dickens is a good read for younger children. It is brief enough to be read at bedtime.

⭐⭐⭐

I just love the Little People Big Dreams books! I say this in every review I write for books in the series, but I just feel like it's so true. The series does a great job introducing inspirational people from history to young children. While it doesn't go into too much detail (as it is targeted towards very young children), the book still does a great job at introducing the highlights of Charles Dickens' life.

When you think that these people got some luxury to be able to shine, this book proofed that you're wrong. If Charles Dickens' family afforded to sent him to school, it didn't last long. But how can he be so famous? You might've heard his books or the famous character of his books such as Mr. Scrooge and Oliver Twist.

This series always taught me to never give up, try some more just like Charles Dickens, for example. Hardship makes you stronger and more resourceful, if you don't stop trying.

A picture book biography of Victorian author Charles Dickens.

This is a nice, succinct look at the author’s life from childhood to adulthood focusing on aspects of his childhood that impacted the stories he eventually told, and the two main books that first made him a household name, The Pickwick Papers and A Christmas Carol. The artwork style fits the topic well, and I like the amount of details. It feels very approachable for littles.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, but the series is feeling formulaic. What makes it worse is at the end of the story there is a mini biography and time line with real picture. I like this part, but I wish it was used to expand on the information in the story, instead of just retell it.

Charles Dickens is a famous and well known author, but young people today probably don't know much about him. This is a wonderful addition to the Little People, Big Dreams series about how a young man overcame many hardships to follow his dream of wanting to tell stories about the people he saw and met everyday. I did not know a lot about Charles Dickens' life and will definitely be reading more about him. In the book, we learn about his family's struggles, his young life working in a factory, his early career in a law office and his work at a couple of newspapers. I can see where he got his inspiration for Oliver Twist. The book concentrates on his famous novella, A Christmas Story, which is one that children will be familiar with. The illustrations by Isobel Ross were a perfect fit for this story. They gave the Victorian feel to the book and added to the story. The timeline with photographs and suggestions for further reading, are always a great addition to encourage readers who want further information. The message to children to follow their dreams and keep trying to succeed, is present and shared in a very good way. A great addition to the series that I recommend public and school libraries stock.

A very sweet biography of Charles Dickens for young children. Another great addition to the Little People, Big Dreams series!

This was cute, and taught me things I didn’t know about Charles Dickens. I enjoyed learning more about his inspiration, and the causes he supported later in his life. The illustrations were detailed, and the colors very fitting.

This biography of Charles Dickens is a new entry in the Little People BIG DREAMS series that presents biographies of so many cultural heroes and favorites, people that young children should become acquainted with. Many of the major points of his life and career are covered well here, including his early life followed by his father’s going to debtors’ prison and Charles himself having to leave school and turn to factory work. From there it follows Dickens’ path through to his writing and his serialized novels which eventually became known around the world. The book is fully illustrated, as are all the books in this series. There is also a brief biography with photographs at the end of the book.

I recommend this as an introduction to Dickens for a child who enjoys reading. And I suggest having a look at the wide array of titles available. You will likely be amazed.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was a good entry into the series! It was more Christmas-y than I expected, but I did really like how it didn't shy away from real issues during Dickens' times.

Charles Dickens is a short illustrated biography of the famed author for young readers in the Little People, Big Dreams series. I've reviewed a number of these titles and all of them are delightful and exuberant little books which cover the lives of famous cultural, science, arts, and icons of innovation while maintaining an age-appropriate level of detail.

Released 9th Nov 2021 by Quarto on their Frances Lincoln imprint, it's 32 pages and will be available in hardcover, and ebook formats.

Written by Isabel Sánchez Vegara it's well written in clear accessible language. There is so much information included in this little book. The art by Isobel Ross is appealing and colorful and I found myself drawn into the pictures.

Well written and appealing, I am really enjoying all of these little books. This one is a worthy addition.

Five stars. This would make a superlative reading circle book, classroom library book, or gift. Dickens lived a difficult life in many ways and the author does a wonderful job of relating information in an age appropriate way without being hurtful or maudlin. This would make a great starting point for deeper research for young readers and a good introduction to his work. I felt that there was an overemphasis on A Christmas Carol, but this book could serve as a springboard and introduction to his *other* works as well.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Charles Dickens was so creative. He loved theatrics and acting. He found his true passion was writing about people though. His most beloved book is A Christmas Carol and is famous all over the world. He also wrote Oliver Twist.

I was not aware that he wrote his books in installments, releasing a chapter at a time. It was a terrific idea and got people so excited to get the latest chapter of his book. This was a new concept and made his writing even more popular.

This is a great story to know more about Charles Dickens. It is obvious why he became such a beloved author by both children and adults alike.

I love the story and the photographs as well. These always add something special to this series.

Thank you NetGalley, Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, and Frances Lincoln Books for a copy of this book.

We love these books in our house. They are a great way to introduce your little ones to important and/or famous people without being too big or in depth (I.e. anything scandalous)

Christmas is a big deal in our house. We have tons of traditions including watching multiple versions of A Christmas Carol. So when I saw this book I knew we had to add this to our collection. I loved finding out more about the author of such a beloved story. Terrific illustrations as always.

Another charming installment of the Little People Big Dreams series. There was a lot of information about Charles Dicken's life and literature for both kids and adults.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advance copy.

These books are easily the best biographies for the 3-5 age range. This particular one isn’t my most favourite but it’s a nice little story of creativity

I absolutely love how this series makes non-fiction text manageable for kids. I don't even think they would realize they are learning! Each page usually has 4 lines, but there is a lot of information packed in there and the illustrations are also beautiful. The end of the book has a full page or two with more information about the person. I recommend these books to my students and have them on my classroom wishlist.

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books through NetGalley.
Sanchez Vegara captures the depth of Dickens' life and abilities and condenses it to a version elementary level readers can understand and appreciate. She wisely focuses on a few of his novels and spends the most time on the one younger readers will recognize - A Christmas Carol. The illustrations show what life was like for the Dickens family and others in England. Details in the artwork bring readers into the text so they can see what Dickens saw.
Another well written entry in the Little People; Big Dreams series. I watch for these to purchase for our school library.

This time the little person with a big dream Charles Dickens. This entry in the well-done series introduces children to the prolific Victorian author. They learn about his father being sent to debtor’s prison and the many jobs that Charles had before becoming an author. Kids find out that readers eagerly awaited each entry in his serials. They discover that Dickens wrote one of the best known Christmas stories. All in all, a very nice look at the author and the power of words.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.