Ten-Word Tiny Tales

Poet and Waterstones Children’s Laureate (2022-24) Joseph Coelho has written twenty tiny tales of only ten words each, and they have been illustrated by twenty different illustrators. The result is an atmospheric, thought-provoking volume. Each tale, by virtue of being a snapshot of a situation or other world, offers the illustrator and reader the chance to imagine their own response. The beautiful colour artwork provides an interpretation of the words, and sometimes in an unexpected way – for instance, the charming insect domestic life illustrated by Maja Kastelic in response to ‘I hear the patter of tiny feet under my bed’, which might have been a chilling scene.

The twenty illustrators have all delighted in the challenge, and their artwork is beautiful, whether spooky, dramatic or atmospheric. There are familiar names here, such as Shaun Tan, Helen Stephens, Alex T. Smith and Dapo Adeola, as well as illustrators whose books readers will want to check out. At the back, there are two pages of prompts to encourage children to illustrate a new tiny tale, and to write their own stories. Ten-word Tiny Tales would be great to use in the classroom to inspire creativity.