Review by Booklist Review
Through sensitive paintings and short, childlike phrases, this picture book explores the range of sizes from microorganisms to the never-ever-ending sky. Most double-page spreads present comparisons. For example, Big Earth, / Small mountain on one spread is followed by Big mountain, / Small tree on the next, with the mountain appearing either small or big, depending on the other entity in the comparison. The book's broad topic and brief text combine to make an interpreter necessary for understanding some of the scenes, such as the opening, abstract-looking illustration of nebulae and galaxies accompanied only by the words Room for all, big and small and the large-scale painting of highly magnified creatures, with the text What is smaller than a flea? / A world of things / too small to see. However, many parents will see this not as a disadvantage, but as an opportunity. Introducing small children to a big idea, this handsome picture book uses an open-ended approach that could lead to good discussions.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 1-This concept book begins "Big and small/Big and small/Room for all/Big and small." A young girl sitting on a low tree branch views the vast mountains, sky, and fields around her. As the book progresses, realistic watercolor illustrations show the universe, the solar system, and a mountain range, as the spare text labels each concept in comparison to the size of the one before it. A single tree looks small against a big mountain, but a man is smaller than the tree. In the same way, a child appears small next to the man but big when compared to a kitten. Successive spreads show the kitten, a mouse, a flea, and microscopic organisms, each smaller than the one before. The viewpoint shifts with the question, "What is bigger than the sky?" and comes full circle to show the universe again. Youngsters will delight in the awe-inspiring illustrations of the universe as well as the monstrous look of an ordinary flea. Word choice is highly suitable for the earliest independent readers. This book will serve as a springboard for discussing the way children perceive size in the natural world.-Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Bogart presents a way for young children to explore the concepts of big and small in a way few picture books address. Eschewing the usual mother-and-baby-animal or household-items examples, she starts with the universe and gets progressively smallersun to earth, mountain, tree, man, child, kitten, mouse, flea..."What is smaller than a flea? / A world of things / too small to see." What makes this offering so different is that each is big and small at the same time: "Big Earth, / Small mountain." A turn of the page reveals, "Big mountain, / Small tree." For her picture-book debut, Newland chooses watercolors in muted earth tones that lend the illustrations a charming retro feel. Her scenery is stunning, and the smaller the comparisons, the more detailed the pictures get. Both text and illustrations have a modest sense of the sublime in their subject, one that comes across clearly. A necessary purchase that surpasses the ordinary fare. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
