Enough is...

by Jessica Whipple, Nicole Wong (Illustrator)

Overview

For kids encountering the pressure to fit in with peers, this picture-book story explores a concept that is key to happiness: how much is enough?

How many friends, turns, clothes, toys, fashion accessories, books? How much of anything? The pictures follow one child as she learns the difference between wanting and needing and, in the end, feels the contentment that flows from being satisfied with what she has. The text, meanwhile, frames a difficult idea in simple, spare language: “Somewhere between a little and a lot, there is Enough. It might be hard to spot, but it’s always there.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780884489320
Publisher:	Tilbury House Publishers
Publication date:	04/18/2023
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,004,619
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Jessica Whipple writes for adults and children. Her picture books Enough Is...(Tilbury House 2023, illust. by Nicole Wong) and I Think I Think a Lot (Free Spirit Publishing 2023, illust. by Josée Bisaillon) are available anywhere books are sold. Her poetry has been published in both print and online literary magazines, and her poem "Broken Strings" was nominated for a 2023 Pushcart Prize. She lives in Pennsylvania and inhabits the places where picture books and poetry intersect. Jessica is represented by Emily Keyes of Keyes Agency.

Nicole Wong was raised by a designer/painter dad and a fashion illustrator mom and never thought of becoming anything except an illustrator. She has illustrated twenty-five children’s books with collage, egg tempera, oils, watercolor, ink, and other media, including Three Lost Seeds (Tilbury House, 2019) and I’ll Be the Water (Tilbury House, 2020). Her illustrations for Kiyoshi’s Walk (Lee and Low, 2021) earned starred reviews from Kirkus (“captivating”) and SLJ (“wonderful”).

Editorial Reviews

2023-01-25
What does it mean to be content with what we have?

In a world where we are constantly urged to seek out the newer, better, best, debut children’s author Whipple makes a solid case for the concept of Enough. A fascination with bears has taken hold over a diverse neighborhood, with children throughout the book donning trendy bear-themed apparel. Amid the fad, the brown-haired, light-skinned protagonist explores the idea of Enough while learning to find fulfillment in their own bear sweater, purchased from a thrift store rather than the “Fancy Clothes” shop or “Better Market.” How many stories before bedtime are Enough? How many sandwiches? Bubbles? Friends? Sometimes, Enough means that we can share lunch with someone in need, give someone else a turn, or give someone money. There is happiness to be found, because after all, “when you find Enough, it’s easy to share.” The soft textures of Wong’s illustrations add a gentleness and warmth to Whipple’s lyrical text with a balanced palette of neutral and vibrant colors that seem to echo the sentiment of the title. Although young readers may miss some of the subtler details of the visual narrative, it's overall a good introduction to a valuable yet abstract idea that is bound to spark discussion as kids consider what Enough means to them. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Just right. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews