'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Friday 21 April 2023

Review: When I'm Big

Many children struggle to understand what becoming BIG means. 

The girl/main character in Karen Blair’s stunning picture book, When I’m Big, questions and imagines what this could mean.

Just how big will I be?

Will she be bigger than others? What adjustments will be needed to accommodate her size if she is? 

A bigger bath? A bigger bed? 

Her mind becomes cluttered with all the images the thought of growing big brings with it.

Will she be too big for everything?

It is when Mum explains that someone smaller will soon join the family, that the understanding of being bigger becomes an interesting, exciting and acceptable thing. 

Supporting the text, expressive illustrations convey the insecurities children may experience when a sibling is facing change. They simultaneously reflect love, anticipation, togetherness and family. 

The gorgeous end papers reveal the characters, situations, and important theme built into the story. Set out in framed images, each picture is a like a subject that can be used as a prompt for discussions between parent and child, or teacher and child, about a new addition to the family.

Title: When I’m Big
Author/Illustrator: Karen Blair
Publisher: Penguin Random House, $19.99
Publication Date: 4 April 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761045813
For ages: 2 - 6
Type: Picture Book