Big and Small by Elizabeth Bennett ill Jane Chapman

On a bright and sunny day, Big and Small go out to play.

Big climbs high.

Small crawls low.

When suddenly Small stubs his toe.

‘A little help, please!’ calls Small.

On a bright and sunny day, Big and Small go out to play.

Big climbs high.

Small crawls low.

When suddenly Small stubs his toe.

‘A little help, please!’ calls Small.

Big and Small are friends who like adventuring together. When Small needs help, he asks Big. The relationship seems clear: Big is he helper when Small needs help. This seems an arrangement both are happy with as they traverse the countryside on their walk. But when they return home and Big is struggling to sleep, it’s Small who provides the requested help. Illustrations are full colour and fill each opening. Text roams around the page like a breeze, gusting and receding in size.

Big and Small is a gentle story about friendship and balance in relationships. Big appears to provide all the help, Small to need it. The final opening offers a different idea, suggesting that the caring and sharing is not all in one direction. The pair depicted may represent friendship, or a parent and a child – drawing them as a bear and a mouse allows multiple interpretations. The end papers feature flying insects that young readers can find in the story. Recommended for pre-schoolers.

 

Big and Small, Elizabeth Bennet ill Jane Chapman Koala Books 2014 ISBN: 9781742761053