Matthew Gray Gubler has released his second book, The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand via Abrams Books and his publishing venture Pumpkin Patch Press.
The release follows his #1 New York Times bestseller Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging, and Being Yourself released in 2019 which featured Gubler’s unique illustrations and handwritten pages. The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand is no different, once again fully crafted by Gubler’s hands down to the barcode (it even has a real sticker this time!)
Though his art style appears like it would be for children, really it’s a book for all ages to enjoy and the beautiful cloth cover featuring Chuck’s metallic green hand is a wonderful display piece or a gift for anyone regardless of age. Sprawled between the bright green clothbound cover is the story of two unlikely friends, Chuck and Lenore, who embark on a dreamlike adventure and uncover the magic of seeing the world through each other’s eyes.
Though a relatively short story,The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand fosters an important theme of mutual understanding in a world where people are striving for individualism to remember the importance of community, connections, and empathy. In the internet age, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to make authentic connection. Things are becoming less tangible as screens take over people’s lives that it’s almost as if humans have lost the ability to really bond — but I would say connecting has more benefits than just the surface level standard. It gives a sense of identity, support, influence — it’s a positive social force that gets taken advantage of. And it’s something Gubler really drives home in his writing and art in The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand. Gubler may have a unique approach, using that child-like wonder and distinguished quirkiness in a way that after you’ve finished the book, perhaps you’ll consider phoning the “big green hand” in your life that you haven’t seen in awhile and sparking that connection again.
The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand is now available through all major book retailers as well as Kindle.
