So Small Illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky

Two words to describe So Small are small and charming. Small, because the book itself is small (perfect for little hands), and charming because of the great illustrations by Feodor Rojankovsky. It could also be described as small but mighty, as the pages are fully illustrated and loaded with detail. Add to this Rojankovsky's distinct style and his unique use of color and you've got a great book, no matter what the size.

The story, by Ann Rand, is about a tiny mouse called Little Bit. Much smaller than his five siblings, Little Bit decides that it's better to be brave than behave, and doesn't heed his parent's warnings about dangers in the world. He puts himself into peril and learns the hard way.

So Small by Ann Rand

Pictures by Feodor Rojankovsky

Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc., New York, 1962

Feodor Rojankovsky was born in Mitava, Russia on December 24, 1891. Feodor and his four siblings were encouraged in their education and development of artistic skills. Feodor was fascinated by the Baltic Sea and the forests of the area. He decided to become a painter and entered the Moscow Fine Arts Academy in 1912. Two years later he left to joint the infantry in the Russian Army. Wounded during his service, he used that time to make sketches and paintings of the war. These became his first published work. In 1919 he was drafted into the White Army, was later captured and held as a prisoner of war in Poland. He was released after the war, but because he was a former officer in the Imperial Army and the White Army, he was not permitted to return to Russia. He stayed in Poland for a number of years, working as a stage director for the theater and an art director for a fashion magazine and a book publishing company. In the mid 1920's he moved to Paris and worked for an advertising agency, film studios and publishing firms. There he met Esther Averill who published his book, Daniel Boone: Historic Adventures of an American Hunter Among the Indians. This was a unique situation at that time in history - that a Russian Illustrator, living in France, could illustrate a book, about an American folk hero, for an American Publisher. 

With the German invasion of France in 1940, Rojankovsky became a refugee again and he emigrated to the United States. Now middle aged, he hardly missed a beat - illustrating seven published books in 1942. Over the course of his career Feodor Rojankovsky illustrated over 75 children's books. writing six of them himself. While best known as a children's illustrator, he was also a war artist and erotica artist (during his time in Paris). This did not bother Rojankovsky, as he stated that he loved nature and children. He was awarded a Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in Frog Went A-Courtin' (1956). Some of Rojankovsky's books include The Great Big Animal Book (1952), The Tall Book of Mother Goose, Gaston and Josephine, Over in the Meadow, The Holy Bible and the many Golden Books he illustrated. A very gifted illustrator, Feodor Rojankovsky died on October 12, 1970.