Review by Booklist Review
In this charming picture book, a young Black boy goes outside to play before breakfast. Encouraged by his clearly loving parents, who proclaim him a big kid, he goes out to the yard on his own. At first, he feels small compared to the sky, the trees, and the backyard. Then, he finds that he is bigger than many things: his dog and cat, his rabbit, a scary bee, and a busy ant. He enjoys observing his surroundings while feeling big and confident, if a bit nervous about the bee. And though he knows he can use his bigness to crush the ant with a foot, he decides not to, and watches it work instead. At last, when he is lifted inside by his mother, the narrator is happy to still be small. The illustrations incorporate elements of collage that pop with color and texture. A blue-dotted sweatshirt, yellow boots, leafy trees, a tiny ant, and the little boy's hair are all depicted with charm and care. Crews captures the joy of early childhood exploration in a book that adults and children can both enjoy. Her relaxed portrayal of a loving family and the boy's universally relatable activities only add to the appeal.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A brown-skinned child encounters his family's backyard alone in this experiential exploration of relative size. "Sunshine! Daytime! Time to play outside," straightforward text reads as the child dons yellow boots and, after his mother declares simply, "You're a big kid now," heads into the yard--"on my own!" Despite his newfound autonomy, though, he quickly notices that his stature is small against the natural world, shown in a full spread whose perspective renders the protagonist tiny against tall trees and a vast sky. A second turnabout occurs on subsequent pages, which show the child's comparative size against the family's pets--a dog, cat, and rabbit--and diminutive birds and insects (an ant is "really, really, really small. I could crush it with my foot!"), all of which indicate to the protagonist that "I am big!" And when his mother comes out to offer breakfast, he realizes that though he might enjoy his bigness, "sometimes I am happy to be small." Crews (A Girl Like Me) renders her story of a kid finding his place in a variably sized world through vividly sketched, textural digital collage whose lens zooms in and out to portray moments of adventure, exploration, and safety in the wide world. Ages 4--8. Agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt and Zacker Literary. (Mar.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Asa, with brown skin and coppery hair, is a big kid now--he's going outside to play by himself for the first time. Only, everything outside is so big! The trees, the sky, and the backyard itself make him feel so very small. In time, Asa discovers that he is indeed bigger than a lot of things, including a rabbit, a dog, a bee, and even an ant. His quiet contemplation of all things in nature is both soothing and inspiring; Asa's wide brown eyes capture the beauty of the backyard world, both large and small. Crews's textured and collaged illustrations create a sense of nostalgia and whimsy, especially at the end when we can all relate as Asa remembers he enjoys being a little kid again. VERDICT This is a nice addition to story hours about relativity, size comparisons, and schoolyard science lessons.--Amanda C. Buschmann, Carroll Elem. Sch., Houston
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Review by Horn Book Review
A child greets the day with excitement, eager to go play outside. Mom and Dad, sipping coffee, encourage the child's exploratory instincts: "Go ahead...you're a big kid now." Exclamation points follow ("I am big! I am going outside on my own!"), but once out the door, the youngster feels -- and looks, in the vast illustration featuring tall trees and open skies -- very small. There's a moment of uncertain hesitation, but then the family dog runs up, bringing companionship and confidence. Subsequent encounters with diminutive creatures (cat, bunny, birds, insects) remind the child that big and small are relative; that it's possible to be both at once; and, in a warmhearted twist ending, that each has its own merits. Crews (The Neighborhood Sing-Along, rev. 5/11; A Girl like Me, rev. 1/20), known for her unique photo-illustrated style, plays with the medium in art that is "digitally drawn and collaged...incorporating photographs and textures created by the artist." The characters are illustrated (not photographed) with subdued hues and patterns and subtle collage elements throughout. The adventure is little but the emotions loom large -- and are completely relatable for all viewers, big or small. Elissa Gershowitz March/April 2022 p.(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
