I Want to Be Big!

by Tiffany Golden, Sawyer Cloud (Illustrator)

Overview

Jaiceon wishes he was big—bigger than his whole family, bigger than everyone! If he were big, he could reach the cookies on the counter, or make his own sandwich. He could stay up really late, swim with sharks, and even be best friends with Bigfoot! Nobody’s your boss when you’re big.

When Jaiceon’s wish is granted, rules shrink away, and he dives into a world of enormous fun. But as he grows, the situation grows out of control along with him, and Jaiceon starts to wonder if being small wasn’t so bad after all.

The sky’s the limit in this larger-than-life tale about how sometimes what we wish for isn’t exactly what we want, and how, with a little creativity and help, we can learn to love ourselves for who we are right now.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645676300
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	04/11/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 12.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tiffany Golden is a writer, educator, and book designer. When teaching kids about writing, she is amazed by the inventive ways they generate ideas, and she tries to incorporate their magic, innocence, and honesty into her own writing. Her nephew, Jaiceon, is so imaginative and vibrant that he inspired this joyful story. Tiffany lives in Oakland, California. This is her debut picture book.

Sawyer Cloud is a freelance artist and the illustrator of several books for children. This story reminds Sawyer of her inner child, and she remains a big dreamer who wants to reach the stars and change the world. She loves stories like Jaiceon’s because they allow her to imagine wild, fantastic places. She lives in Madagascar with her family.

Editorial Reviews

"This is a fun read-aloud showing a loving and supportive family and the value of not wishing away the present. A good choice for libraries with young readers."
—School Library Journal

"Repetition throughout makes this story a strong choice for reading aloud [...] The longing to be bigger and more independent is a common desire of young children and will likely resonate with many kids and their caregivers."
—Kirkus Reviews

"It's frustrating being little in a world of high counters and cabinets where your parents and siblings tower over you and the cookies are always out of reach [...] [I Want to Be Big! offers] a good lesson in adaptability."
—Booklist

From the Publisher

11/01/2022

Toddler-PreS—The baby of this loving family wishes he were big enough to do things by himself, big enough to be bigger than his older siblings, even bigger than his parents! He imagines himself larger and is delighted with the results. But when he imagines himself bigger, he can no longer connect with the family he loves so much. This book will resonate with lots of kids who also feel that they would like to able to take more responsibility and have more of the rewards of being grown up. The warmly colored artwork shows a kind and loving family in the best possible light. VERDICT This is a fun read-aloud showing a loving and supportive family and the value of not wishing away the present. A good choice for libraries with young readers.—Debbie Tanner

School Library Journal

2023-01-12
The youngest child in a family imagines how exciting life would be if they were bigger.

The narrator longs to be “bigger than Big Brother. Bigger than Big Sister. Bigger than Mom. Bigger than Dad.” Being big will allow them to do a host of activities, from eating candy to staying up late to reaching high counters, as well as some head-scratching choices, like swimming with sharks, becoming friends with Bigfoot, and digging to the center of the Earth. The child is granted their wish. Soon enough, however, they want to become even bigger, as they believe “being bigger will be even better!” Once again their size changes, and they become even bigger than before and soon learn the age-old lesson to be careful what you wish for. Whimsical illustrations, which depict a happy family that presents as Black, complement the text. Repetition (“Bigger than a whale. Bigger than a redwood. Bigger than a mountain. Bigger than everything!”) throughout makes this story a strong choice for reading aloud. The longing to be bigger and more independent is a common desire of young children and will likely resonate with many kids and their caregivers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Playfully speaks to the longings of young children. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews