So Big and So Small
Next to a speck of sand, you’re huge. But gaze up into the night sky with its millions of stars, and suddenly you’re tiny. So which is true? Are you big or little?
Author John Coy captures the whimsical poetry of a child’s perspective as he looks at everything gigantic and minuscule in the universe to arrive at a surprising conclusion: kids are both big and little–just the right size to be exactly who they’re meant to be.
Pine Reads Review
A brief but beautiful book, So Big and So Small illustrates the changing perceptions of a young boy. Perhaps for the first time, he marvels at his impact in the world around him. Immersed in nature both vast and infinitesimal, the child views himself in comparison to his surroundings; big next to a bird or a baby, small next to his parents or the vast open sky. The book has sparse text and mainly relies on vivid illustrations. The illustrations go along with the text accordingly, as the little boy appears massive and detailed next to a bumblebee resting on a flower, but is just a mere silhouette next to a majestic mountain landscape. The text, while sparse, illuminates complex questions through the simpler lens of a child: who are we in the world? Where do we fit in?
So Big and So Small is a sweet and honest look at introspection. Before they can think in more profound, abstract concepts about why we’re here, kids relate themselves to the physical world around them. It can be tough living in such a vast, overwhelming world—especially when you realize that you only live in a sliver of it. But as the boy recognizes his place in the world, he begins to feel more confident about how he fits into it. This is the kind of thought process that illustrations help uplift, and Steph Lew’s warm, colorful art style contribute to the genuine feeling of the book.