You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang is what a (children’s) book should be

Every children’s book has the inert potential to be awesome.  Some of them are great, some good, fewer are OK and a couple are just bad.  The rarest of all children’s books in our house is the book that hooks us immediately and can be re-read without any effort at all.  The Great Lollipop Caper was the last children’s book that caught our attention to the same degree that You Are (Not) Small did.  It’s simple, has big, cute pictures and lets the white space between the images and words tell as much of the story as the written ones themselves.

You Are (Not) Small is the story of two fuzzy creatures talking about how big, or small they are.  The big brown fuzzy creature brings in some of his big, brown friends to illustrate that the others are small.  The small, purple creatures bring out their friends to show that the brown ones are big.

The story does some close-ups of the purple and brown fuzzy creatures with them arguing over who is big and who is small.  All of this goes on until a pair of much larger blue feet stomp down with some very small pink fuzzies parachuting down from above.

The purples agree that they are not small and the browns suddenly realize that they are not big.    Then they both agree that they are both small and large.  The purples and browns realize that they are hungry and go get something to eat.

The text in the book is simple, engaging, fun and can be re-read multiple times during a good-night session.  The illustrations by Christopher Weyant are another reason that the book is so immediately enjoyable.  They’re reminiscent of Calvin and Hobbes, yet entirely their own creation.  The only reason that Weyant’s illustrations brought back those memories is the warmth and personable nature that they brought forth.  I know they’re just drawings, but you feel like you can reach out and touch….OK, hug,  those fuzzy little (or big) creatures.

You Are (Not) Small works on so many levels.  As a adult you can wonder or think about characteristics or physical things that others have that you don’t.  However, the small & big fuzzies came to realize (and accept) that there are bigger and smaller fuzzies all around them.  We adults can also let go or accept any perceived shortcomings or things that we’re boastful about.

This is a great children’s book that adults will also enjoy.  Is it a new classic?  It’s one of the ones that we’ll save when our kids stop reading children’s books.  In 30 years when they have kids we’ll get the box of their books out and it’ll be this one and a couple others.