By J. Chambers
HALL OF FAME TOP 10 REVIEWER
November 13, 2014

Format: Hardcover

The story began when young Tess and her brother Toby were rummaging through their mother's memory box and discovered a diary, some old picture postcards, and a little tintype portrait of a woman and her dog. The portrait, which was labeled "Lottie and Pearl, 1890," was the most intriguing of the items, even more so a few hours later when Tess noticed that the image of the woman and her dog was fading away. (Remember the fading McFly family portrait in Back to the Future?) When the woman and her dog suddenly appeared in Tess and Toby's yard, things got even more intriguing. Little did Tess and Toby realize at the time what an adventure they were about to embark on.

In following the woman around their town and trying to learn her identity, Tess and Toby were introduced to genealogy and family trees, and tintypes, a 19th century photographic process. As the two youngsters followed the mysterious lady, they found short poems containing enigmatic clues to her identity and her ultimate destination. Were the fleeting glimpses of Lottie and her dog for real, or were the kids' sightings of her only in their imagination? And did it really matter, as long as the two children learned something about who they were on their journey of self-discovery?

With the superb photographic illustrations complementing the story perfectly, the Tiny Portrait is a splendid story for children and grownups alike. The story may help to spark children's interest in their own family history, and perhaps they'll even want to take another look at those old family photos again.