*You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang

*You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang, illustrated by Christopher Weyant.  Two Lions (Amazon), 2014. 30 pages.

Reading Level: Easy Readers, ages 4-8(not) small
Recommended For: ages 0-4

Bottom Line: Beginning readers will love this confrontation between two hairy creatures that proves size is relative.

You are small, says one bear-like critter to another.  And from the looks of the first page spread, he’s right.  But then the little one replies, I am not small.  You are big.  Hmmm.  Can it be that the value of small and big depends on who’s talking?  But wait—what if a whole crowd of furry creatures join the larger of the two?  Strength in numbers, right?  They get to call the shots—unless the smaller of the two calls on more legions of his own. You Are (Not) Small won this year’s Theodore Seuss Geisel Award, given annually by the American Library Association to excellence in books for early readers.  With a vocabulary of about 25 words and clever illustrations by a New Yorker cartoonist, it accomplishes three goals: engaging young minds with humor, building confidence in beginning readers, and presenting an idea to think and talk about.

Cautions: none

Overall Rating: 5 (out of 5)

  • Worldview Rating: 4
  • Artistic Rating: 5

Categories: Starred Review, Easy Readers, Concept Books, Award Winners
Cover image from Amazon

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Janie Cheaney

Janie is the VERY senior staff writer for Redeemed Reader, as well as a long-time contributor to WORLD Magazine and an author of nine books for children. The rest of the time she's long-distance smooching on her four grandchildren (not an easy task). She lives with her equally senior husband of almost-fifty years in the Ozarks of Missouri.

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