I Don't Want to be Small

Being small is so frustrating! You get overlooked by your friends, you get a terrible view in a crowd and you miss out on fairground rides. It's not fair, as the central character of this story announces on the first page. At least this little boy has a big brother, who passes on his old clothes when he grows too tall for them. Even these are too big! It is all too much and, in his annoyance, the little boy throws his teddy bear so high that it gets stuck in a tree. With great resilience, the boy uses all his energy and resourcefulness in trying to rescue the bear. When high jumps, stilts, a long stick and a rope made of socks do not help, he decides he will have to try to grow tall quickly. This leads to some amusing scenes, where he tries eating lots of vegetables, and then sunning himself in a plant pot, all to no avail. Just when he is about to give in, along comes the offer of assistance, from a girl who is much taller. Even she cannot retrieve the bear alone. In the final pages of the book, the two characters work together to solve the problem, and forge a friendship along the way. They agree to share the bear and, more importantly, that although one is small and one is tall, they are perfectly happy with that. Most children will identify with the feeling of missing out by being too small. This story explores that feeling through various scenarios and does so with humour and understanding. The appealing illustrations and clever use of varying fonts and picture sizes support the narrative very well; and the use of rhyme gives the tale a momentum which both reader and listener will enjoy. Picture book / Ages 3+ / Reviewed by Judith Greenall, librarian

Suggested Reading Age 3+