I have to admit, I don’t often come across a book that catches my interest the way that BIG, written by Coleen Paratore, illustrated by Clare Fennell, and published by Little Pickle Press, did. See, I have a son, Patrick. And Patrick’s BIG.
He wasn’t always that way—up until he was four months old he wore layette-size clothing. And then we went to Hawaii for six weeks, and when we came home he’d blown right through all the baby sizes to 18-months, had four teeth, and was crawling.
He never looked back. By the time he was two he was so far off the charts the doctors stopped mapping his growth. In kindergarten he had to sit at a third-grade desk because he was too big for the kindergarten tables. In elementary school sometimes I’d drive by the playground and spot him by the monkey bars, hunched over, trying to look like the other kids. Anyone who tells you that size doesn’t matter to kids is lying.
By fifth grade he was taller than his teachers. Fortunately for us, those teachers did something for my son that BIG does for young children today—they taught him that size has its advantages—and that it’s far more than just a physical thing. His homeroom teacher encouraged my son to take up the tuba “because it takes a big, strong, kid to carry it in the marching band.” He also suggested that Patrick go out for sports like football and basketball, where being big is an enormous asset (forgive the pun).
Patrick’s math teacher saw that what previous teachers had interpreted as an unwillingness to follow “the rules” was in fact an indication that Patrick’s brain simply processes things in its own way. Like much of my family, his brain seems to function bilaterally–he is both intensely creative, and intensely analytical. “I like to have Patrick work the math problems on the board,” his math teacher said. “He comes at them from an angle I’ve never seen before—and some of my students can understand it better the way he does it. It gives everybody another way of understanding the concepts.”
Those teachers worked with school staff (and me) to help Patrick become big in other, even more important ways. Though he was offered the opportunity to move into advanced placement classes, we chose instead to keep him in the classroom with his friends and those wonderful teachers—and put him to work as an assistant to the PE teacher. Each day, he spent some time out on the playground teaching kindergarteners through fourth-graders how to catch, leading exercises—and learning about how discipline, patience, and kindness go a long way toward a new, better kind of bigness.
Patrick is almost sixteen now, 6’5”, a lineman on the football team (that’s him up above–#77), and a wonderful tuba player (he’s just been accepted into the youth symphony). And when we go out little kids all over town run up to him to say, “hi.” Because of this small town, and particularly because of his fifth-grade teachers, my son is big in ways that Paratore and Fennell understand.
Again, #77 is the boy we watch here. Imagine facing that over a small, pointed ball!
For children, size matters. It matters a lot. BIG does for young readers what my son’s fifth-grade teachers did for him—they provide children another way of understanding something that’s central to life—that physical size is only one way of being big.
And if you, Gentle Readers (or Savage Readers–we’re equal-opportunity around here, what with the Magic Dog’s penchant for biting UPS men, gas men, Fed-ex men, mail men, cops, and random strangers) would like to read more about BIG, Little Pickle Press, and the nice people who make these things possible, you can download lesson plans at the Little Pickle Press website here. Click here for the BIG lesson plan. And of course you’ll want to buy a copy of this beautiful book, or download a Kindle version of the book by clicking here.
Size matters. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. This illustration (like the kids above) are some of Clare Fennell’s charming artwork for BIG.
BIG is printed on recycled papers with soy inks in North America (since the folks at Little Pickle Press are all Big People and Understand About Saving Our Planet). For more of the story behind the story in BIG continue the book tour tomorrow–here’s a full set of the blog stops:
Tour Stops 2012
· 9/19 Brit Mum
· 9/20 Spoiled Yoga
· 9/21 Capability Mom
Here’s a quick reference list of helpful links for BIG, and for Little Pickle Press:
Little Pickle Press on Facebook
Little Pickle Press on Twitter
Speak! Good Dog! 
I’d love to see a tuba picture of Patrick, too! Totally awesome!
I’ll have some shortly–his first concert’s coming up…
I loved this story about your son, and how being big led him to being BIG. It’s wonderful that he was given the opportunity to explore ALL of his strengths, physical and otherwise. Being the best you that you can be is what BIG (the picture book) is all about. It is a truly amazing book.
Thanks, Cameron–I feel very fortunate that he’s had people in his life to teach him that–and I love it that LIttle Pickle Press has come out with a book showing this.
What an incredible story- a perfect example of how something that could have turned out badly, turned out incredibly well, thanks to special people (including Patrick and his mom) who could think outside the box and focus on the good. This is exactly what being BIG is all about. You go, Patrick!
I’ll tell him you said that! As you say, this is very much a team effort.
Patrick’s teachers and mentors were BIG too! Thanks for sharing, Bodie. And thanks for this terrific review and comprehensive point of access to all relevant Little Pickle Press assets. We appreciate you!
You’re very welcome–and those people were BIG, all right! I’m always happy to share about books like this.
We all have family and friends who don’t fit one norm or another. BIG gives us a way to talk to our children about how exciting being different, being BIG can be. Let’s use this as one of those teaching moments.
Exactly–books like this provide a way of talking about expectations, and stereotypes, and individuality, and the need to be one’s own true self.
Loved hearing about your son, and how much he has achieved!
Best Wishes
Thank you, Clare–
I love talking about him. I think he’s one of the best things I’ve done (at least so far). He also proves the point of BIG–that it means more than just being physically large, or all grown up.
What would the world be like if everyone realized that they are indeed teachers, and are capable of that kind of life impact?
Great question, Audrey. Bodie’s post inspires us to make the most our power to positively impact the lives of those around us. Doing this can definitely make one feel BIG!
Pretty amazing, I think. I can never repay what those two teachers (and many of his other teachers, for that matter) have done for my kid.
Such a great story about your son. It sounds as though everyone around him has helped him to be his best, but he seems pretty special all on his own. Thank you for sharing and also for highlighting this great book.
That sums it up nicely, Tony–he’s a remarkable kid, and he’s been surrounded by people who have helped him be his best!
Lovely post, Bodie. Thanks to you and Patrick for so beautifully illustrating the point that big is a synonym for great!
Yes, it is, isn’t it?
Love your story. Your son sounds a bit like mine. Paul isn’t big, but he is tall. He, too, played the tuba in junior high and then played basketball in high school. Paul is 6’10” and like Patrick, he’s analytical and creative. It’ll be interesting to see where Patrick goes after graduation. Paul is a designer at a game company. That seems to satisfy and occupy both sides of his brain.
Patrick’s talked about being a game designer, but lately he’s been all about being an elementary school teacher, or a children’s counselor.
What a terrific story. Thanks so much for sharing it. That really proves how important it is to treat each child on an individual basis and celebrate what makes them special.
Exactly–to be able to move beyond the physical factor is, I think, what lies at the heart of true BIGness.
Sigh, we do go on in our culture about size don’t we? And it is all so referential, big in a fullback is a good thing, a big woman, not so good. We need affirming books, and not just for children, that celebrate life. I remember that as a child when an adult said, “My look how big you have become.” feeling quite satisfied about that. Now as an adult I equate “how big I have become” with continued growth in all the other ways, spiritual, emotional, intellectual…
This book looks charming, thanks for including an illustration. I think it will make a good gift for a new baby in my life!
Tell that tuba-playing sweetheart of a son that he rocks!
I’ll do that! I don’t write poetry much anymore, but there was a time in my life where I did write a few. This was one of my favorites:
Keys
At peace, I lay me down.
The water fills my ears
and I am alone
with my depth-sounding heart, and the tidal sloshes, and the porcelain
porpoise squeaks.
Bovinely warm.
I gleam, and please myself,
basking in tropical heat, a manatee in shallows.
I roll and raise a be-blubbered limb in solemn, silly satisfaction.
It glows in diffuse golden light, and sheds tiny pearls.
And I am magnificent, exquisite:
smooth even bulges and polished hollows, and whiskery hairs strung with
translucent bubbles that burst and rise in orderly columns, according to size.
Men too long from land see mermaids.
But in the sparkling green ocean under a nothing blue glazed sky in the gentle swells
(bathwater warm),
Manatees are lovely.
What a lovely piece of poetry, Sherry! Thanks again for hosting this review and sharing stories about Patrick, too. 🙂
You’re welcome–I don’t share my poetry often, but I’ve always loved this one–something about the image of a big woman who can see beauty in her body…
And I’m glad you like the Patrick stories–I feel very fortunate to have him in my life.
[…] Getting BIGger […]