of the process, the book's timeline expands beyond a single year. The island is described as being: "A part of the world and a world of its own all surrounded by the bright blue sea." The Little Island is all about faith. Having the kitten go fishing is an allusion to the proverb of teaching a man to fish, rather than providing him with fish, and the kitten that comes from ashore learns a secret about the island and a lesson about faith. The connection to John Donne is made in the context of the kitten visitor to the island. "Maybe I am an island too . . . a little fur Island in the air". The connections run in all directions. The kitten gets the answer there, but cannot get firm proof. He just has to take the fish's word for it. This is an obvious allusion to the element of faith in people understanding of the spiritual nature of our connections to one another. Many animals need the little island to go through their annual cycle, such as the seals who raise their young on the island. Many of the insects and birds come from the mainland across the sea. The weather affects the sea, the island, and the mainland alike as do the tides. The story is strengthened by what children choose to read the book and have opportunities to share scientific facts, spiritual connections, and to explain the mutual dependency that occurs in nature. References American picture books Caldecott Medal–winning works 1946 children's books Works published under a pseudonym Books by Margaret Wise Brown Doubleday (publisher) books