David has created several stunning children's books with his work, and in Big and Me, he creates a story of visual beauty, but also one of astonishing depth.
When Big (the whopping great orange machine) goes a bit 'wobbly', his friend Small learns there's something wrong with his computer. He doesn't mean to do strange things (like hop in the ocean and pretend he's a boat). It's just his wiring is going a little haywire, and well - he needs some special tractor medicine to help him out.
Big takes his tractor medicine - and everything is back to normal again. But then one day, Big says things are going so very well . . . he doesn't need his tractor medicine any more. So he stops taking it.
And his computer doesn't just go haywire, it goes a little out of control.
Poor Small is confused and scared. He wants his friend to be well. Lucky for Small, he has some amazing support - as does his friend Big, who is soon back to normal once again - whatever 'normal' is deemed to be.
This moving story touches on the very real experiences many young children encounter with mentally ill parents. Miller has penned the story with a gentle hand and in a very human way, using his machines as metaphors for adult and child. Oh, and his paper creations are stunning, as always.
Eye-opening, educational and important, Big and Me is a book that can be enjoyed by any child, and is a timely reminder that community support and understanding is a vital and sometimes underrated commodity.
Read our interview with David here.
Title: Big and Me
Author/Illustrator: David Miller
Publisher: Ford Street Publishing, $26.95
Publication Date: February 2009
ISBN: 9781876462697
Format: Hardcover
For ages: 0+
Type: Picture Book
