So Big!

PreS-K--Parents delight in asking their little ones, "How big is baby?" followed by "Sooooo big" as babies and toddlers throw their hands in the air in glorious response. This simple yet thought-provoking picture book takes the famous "So Big" and brings it to a new level. Bear is happy to be "so big," as he wakes up one morning and his calendar reminds him that it is the first day of school. He is so happy as he gets ready and makes it to the bus stop on his own. It isn't until the bus shows up that "so big" begins to take on a new meaning to bear. Everything seems "so big," and that's just too big for him to handle. It isn't until he meets his new friend Squirrel and they conquer their fears together that "so big" becomes just right. This book has very few words and much of it is just repeating "so big" in different contexts. The illustrations take readers on the adventure and allow for extrapolation of details and conversations between parent and child. A soft color palette of lifelike illustrations allows for the emotions of the characters to be felt by readers. VERDICT Even "big boys and girls" are allowed to feel nervous sometimes; most children can relate to the first day of school jitters. Recommended for general purchase for a public library's picture book collection as this would be a perfect read for a new kindergartner.-Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY

"Wohnoutka's animal cast is beautifully expressive, and his use of relative size within compositions is masterful, easily getting across to readers how the world feels to Bear and Squirrel." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Mike Wohnoutka condenses the exhilaration and terrors of school entry into a few brief phrases in So Big!, a picture book for young children filled with warm-hued illustrations that exude reassurance." - The Wall Street Journal

"This simple yet thought-provoking picture book . . . would be a perfect read for a new kindergartner." - School Library Journal

"By the end of the book, readers will be all set for school too: this is sure to provoke shared laughter that will calm the fears of even the most unready parents." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on DAD'S FIRST DAY

"Wohnoutka's gouache paintings poke gentle fun at Daddy, and they'll elicit giggles. . . It should leave new students with an extra jolt of confidence." —Publishers Weekly on DAD'S FIRST DAY

"The colorful gouache illustrations will elicit giggles from young readers as they imagine their parents behaving like Oliver's dad." —School Library Journal on DAD'S FIRST DAY

"This book is bold, original, and funny, and should be part of every picture-book collection." — Starred Review, School Library Journal on MOO!

"The readaloud's the real fun here." —BCCB, starred review, on MOO!

"Good barnyard fun, with nods to Mo Willems' aspirational Pigeon and Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin's enterprising Duck." —Kirkus Reviews on MOO!