Wellington's Big Day Out

by Steve Small, Steve Small (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Steve Small's storytelling has a unique power — it lets little kids feel grown and thoughtful while bringing out the child-like innocence and joy for adults. Wellington's Big Day Out, just like The Duck Who Didn't Like Water has the feel of a timeless classic — one that with each reading you'll think of another person you want to share the story with, knowing that you're about to brighten their day.

From Emmy Award nominee and author-illustrator Steve Small comes a picture book about the bond between father and son, being little, and growing up one day at a time.

When Wellington is given a new jacket exactly like Dad’s for his birthday, he’s delighted! But his delight turns to disappointment when he tries it on and it’s far too big. Even worse, what if it’s not that the jacket is too big, but that he’s too small? Luckily, Wellington’s dad has a plan, and on an exciting day out that includes a ride on the bus, a super-size strawberry sundae, a toot on a tuba, and a visit to his granddad, Wellington learns that he’s growing up exactly as fast as he should be—and just like his dad.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665922555
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Publication date:	08/30/2022
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	604,548
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Steve Small has worked in animation for over thirty years as a director, designer, and animator. The work has varied from working on Disney features to designing and directing shorts, TV series, and commercials. He’s the illustrator of I’m Sticking with You and the author and illustrator of The Duck Who Didn’t Like Water, Wellington’s Big Day Out, Brave Little Bear, and The Hare Who Wouldn’t Share. Steve lives in London, and when he’s not painting and drawing, you’ll likely find him feeding the crows on Blackheath Common.

Steve Small has worked in animation for over thirty years as a director, designer, and animator. The work has varied from working on Disney features to designing and directing shorts, TV series, and commercials. He’s the illustrator of I’m Sticking with You and the author and illustrator of The Duck Who Didn’t Like Water, Wellington’s Big Day Out, Brave Little Bear, and The Hare Who Wouldn’t Share. Steve lives in London, and when he’s not painting and drawing, you’ll likely find him feeding the crows on Blackheath Common.

Editorial Reviews

06/20/2022

“I’m definitely more grown up,” thinks Wellington, a particularly diminutive elephant, as he regards himself in the mirror on his birthday. His parents are clearly in agreement: “Who is this gentleman?” asks his mother; “What have you done with Wellington and why are you wearing his bathrobe?” asks his father. But the rest of the world, not so much. A new blue jacket (“exactly like Dad’s”) swamps him, and when he and his father go to the city to get it tailored, everything feels “HUGE”—even a strawberry sundae is “just too big.” On a side trip to visit his grandfather, Wellington is measured on the wall alongside marks showing that Dad, who now towers over his son, was once the same height as Wellington is today. And equally enormous Grandad has boyhood skates that fit Wellington perfectly. “Maybe the jacket will fit me better next year,” a much comforted Wellington decides, and the three elephants skip the tailor, instead heading to the rink. Small (I’m Sticking with You) enfolds the reader with a calm, gently humorous voice and watercolor-like vignettes that emphasize just how big the world can seem, offering a winning reminder that everyone starts out small. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

2022-05-11
A young elephant struggles with feeling too small on his birthday.

Wellington’s “a whole year older” than yesterday. But while his parents at first pretend not to recognize the handsome gentleman who joins them at breakfast, their gift proves that their son is not quite as big as they thought (or he’d like); the jacket that’s just like Dad’s is way too big. So, he and Dad set off to visit the tailor and then Grandad. Wellington’s thrilled that he now needs a ticket (half-price) to ride the bus, and he’s awed at how big the city looks from atop his father’s shoulders. But when they find the tailor repeatedly out, their size differences are further highlighted as they try out a tuba at the music store (Wellington “could barely get it to make a sound”) and eat giant ice cream sundaes (Wellington can’t finish his). Giving up on the tailor, they head to Grandad’s, where the wise older pachyderm finds a way to show Wellington that he’s exactly the right size, and the three of them end the day on a high note; perhaps the jacket will fit on Wellington’s next birthday. White backgrounds keep the focus on the characters. Small really plays up the size difference between the elephants: Wellington is one-fifth the size of his enormous father, which can make it tough to see the tyke’s facial expressions unless you’re up close or a lapsitter. This is a perennial topic, and this wordy take on it doesn’t quite stand out from the rest. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sweet but familiar and predictable approach to the I’m-too-small conundrum. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews