Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life

by Jerdine Nolen, Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)

Young Hewitt Anderson is sweet, smart, polite—and very, very small. This warmly humorous tale is “proof that, when it comes to heart, physical size isn’t the whole story” ( Kirkus Reviews ).

Descended from a long line of giants, the J. Carver Worthington Andersons take their height very seriously indeed. You see, without exception all of the many J. Carver Worthington Andersons have been giants until now. And poor Hewitt—hidden in the floorboards, trapped in the flour vat, lost in the bedsheets—has his struggles being tiny. Oh, his parents How will their son manage to live in a world of big things? Leave it to Hewitt to prove the power of being small.

Inspired by the tale of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” the inimitable Jerdine Nolen tells an original story of bravery and the power of the individual. Kadir Nelson’s imaginative and loving illustrations create a world where smallness rules—a world that children will want to return to again and again.

Genres: Picture Books, African American, Childrens, Fiction, Family, Folklore

40 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1998

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of Nolen or Nelson's works. The story is too long and the illustrations don't always match the text.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hewitt is a tiny boy born to giants. His parents worry overmuch about him, as size really DOES matter in their world (which is really small-minded of them!). Hewitt comes through in his own way, proving his worth even if he's not what his parents expected.

Great pictures, cute premise. I feel like I've seen variations on this theme before so nothing stood out other than the idea that the family is gigantic (with the exception of Hewitt). I love how they sing, and the overt displays of love and affection they have for each other. This is perhaps the true value of the book - showing a genuine caring family dealing with a situation that seems more upsetting than it really needs to be.

[Sam Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh I really really liked this book. I want to own it! Like Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart, this is a story about someone who is different because of a giant difference in size - but this time, everyone's a giant and Hewitt is little! The message of this book - put aside preconceived ideas about one right way to be happy and life to be good - was pretty secondary for me, but I loved loved loved the characters of the parents and the doctor, thanks, almost entirely, to the outstanding images of Kadir Nelson. Hewitt is smart, and quick, and his own way of doing things frequently saves the day. I bet kids, who, like Hewitt are smaller than the grown ups around them, would easily identify with him and his adventuring.

[Sarah Brock]

I think this book sends a great message. It conveys to its reader that no matter how small you are or how different you are, you are important. Even though Hewitt was very tiny and very different from everyone around him, he still had a purpose, had a great life, and was loved very much by his parents. The book is more wordy than other children's books I have read, but I think it would be a great picture book for more advanced readers in elementary school, as well as a good book for a teacher to read aloud to a class.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

've decided to read 29 children's book during Black History month 2016. This was book #19. Hewitt Anderson's Giant Big Life by Jerdine Nolen and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Based off the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, Hewitt is the opposite of everything that his community knows. As his parents deal with his size countless issues arise and Hewitt always survives. The distinctive illustrations are speculator. I definitely recommend this story for families especially those with young boys.

[Peyton Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life was published in 2005 and is a wonderful book full of rich vocabulary and descriptive imagery. The story is a fantasy that blends believable characters in a world where giants and golden eggs exist. In this story Hewitt's parents are giants, as all of his ancestors were also giants as well. The interesting fact is that Hewitt is not a giant. His parents view this as a problem and call in a doctor to examine him. His parents worry about him and all the pitfalls that he may encounter due to his small stature. Hewitt seems unfazed by this and continues to keep a good outlook. Eventually Hewitt demonstrates that his small size is not an obstacle, but can be an advantage and even a gift.
This is a WOW book for me as the amount of vocabulary and descriptive writing is amazing. In the classroom I could see this book being used to teach new vocabulary. I believe this would be a good book for a Kindergarten-second grade classroom. A teacher could do a semantic gradient with the words big and tiny and have students place the vocabulary words on the gradient to show the sequence of the words from big to tiny. Or the teacher could give the vocabulary words from the book and have the students group them depending on their meaning. In both methods, students could then write a sentence with the vocabulary word. This is also a good book to use as an example of descriptive writing. Students could categorize the descriptions into things that they can visualize, hear, touch or taste.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might be my new favorite story by jerdine Nolan. A funny variant of Jack in the Beanstalk, with small Hewitt's over-protective giant parents trying with all their might to protect their tiny cherished child through silly survival lessons. Of course, what is discovered is that Hewitt is perfectly capable just the way he is and that is size gives him abilities that others in their "giant' community don't have. Gorgeous illustrations by Kadir Nelson. Great for lessons on self reliance, self concept, family, love.

[Kristen Quinlan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just ok for me as a literary text, even though Kadir Nelson illustrated it, which I appreciated most about this book. This is kind of a spin of the Jack and the Beanstalk folk tale, but it seemed real slow and the point of the book was slightly slagging to get there. I did appreciate the moral of the story of acceptance of who we are no matter what, and that we are all born with a purpose. I think I would only save this book for a study on the illustrator because as always, Kadir Nelson portrayed the characters and setting of this book beautifully and with great detail.

[Jozef Syndicate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed a moment in the gigantic, small life of The Anderson family where big things are best--and more--with a pint-sized son. Another great #JozefBookandBrew treat with homebrewed @communitycoffee's Southern porch tea. 4-star

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hewitt is a tiny son among a community of Giants. The Giant family learns to stop worrying about his miniature size and to accept and celebrate him as he is.

I don't see children sitting in rapture of this story, but I'm sure they would politely listen.

[AMY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrated by Kadir Nelson; Great story like Tom Thumb or opposite of Paul Bunyan. A tiny Hewitt is born to giants. His parents want to make sure he will be all he can though he is so very small. Gorgeous illustrations and inspiring story. Highly recommended for Grades K-3.

[Lily Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

This children's picture book was good, I liked the overall message of still being able to prove your work no matter your size. The theme of family is expressed all the way through and their love was expressed in a really sweet way.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of, but not exactly, like a black Tom Thumb.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great pictures!
The theme is a great one - that even if the odds are against you, you can still be successful and help others.

[Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hewitt Anderson is tiny, while his parents are giants. They worry constantly over their son, but he proves that he is resourceful and imaginative...he is exactly how he is supposed to be.

[Melissa Ganka-Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A creative new spin on an old fairy tale, with a lesson in being who you were made to be. Lovely illustrations and use of language.

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always love Kadir Nelson’s illustrations, and enjoyed this story of a small son whose parents are giants.

[Amy Seto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hewitt Anderson lived in an enormous house with his parents who believed big things were best. Everything about J. Carver Worthington Anderson and his wife was big, which made sense because they were giants. Unfortunately, Hewitt was not a giant. In fact, he was so small he could sit in the palm of his father’s hand or on the brim of his mother’s hat and there was still plenty of room. Although the family was very happy, full of love, laughter, and song, Hewitt’s parents worried about their son’s survival in the big, wide world. So they start giving him survival lessons. They try to teach Hewitt to swim and climb beanstalks, but something always went wrong and Hewitt had to save his parents with his quick thinking and small stature. After Hewitt helped his parents and the family doctor, Dr. Gargantuan, escape from a locked room by crawling into the lock and pushing the gears to open the door, the Andersons realized that Hewitt knew how to live among big things. Not in spite of his size, but because of it. “For his parents realized that big or small, either is best of all!

Inspired by the classic folktale, Jack and the Beanstalk, this original story is a tall tale full of big descriptions and musicality. Nolen’s words are carefully constructed for reading aloud. As befits a tall tale, the telling of each incident is exaggerated. This heightens the urgency of the story, pushing the pace and tying the small episodes together. Nelson’s oil illustrations use perspective and angles to further emphasize the largeness of Mama and Papa and the smallness of Hewitt. The four characters in the book are African-American and the clothing and hairstyles place the story sometime in the late 1800’s. The illustrations and the text both demonstrate the love in the Anderson family. This is especially evident in the illustrations that show Mama, singing “resounding, resplendent melodies,” and Papa with his “deep baritone,” serenading Hewitt until he falls asleep in the palm of his father’s hand.

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...

[Laken Doom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this story written by Jerdine Nolen! The story "Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life" follows a boy who is very different from his parents. The child is tiny and his parents are giants! We follow his family and their concern that he is too small and will never grow. They call in doctors to analyze him and figure out the problem and why his growth is stunted. The parents although concerned still love their child Hewitt and still let him go on adventures with them. The story ends with Hewitt helping his family get out of a "locked up" situation and it warms your heart as a reader to read the last few pages. I would use this book as a read aloud with any age student it uses African American characters yet ties in fairy tale features that any age will enjoy. The illustrations were drawn by Kadir Nelson. The drawings were bold colored and beautiful! they catch and hold your attention, adding more to the story itself. The drawings are very detailed and have a wonderful scale between the characters about them. Nelson makes Hewitt appear much smaller than his parents but not in a way that is awkward to the reader. The illustrations fit the story perfectly and add so much to it! I would love to use this book in my classroom, I truly believe children would enjoy it!

[Jessica Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life by Jerdine Nolen is a fun tall tale about a family of giants. Oddly, two giant parents had a normal-size son. Hewitt has trouble navigating the giant world sometimes, but he comes through when he's needed. Hewitt proves that the size of your stature doesn't matter.

This is a really fun book! I loved that it connected to Jack and the giant beanstalk. Those two stories would make a great text-to-text connection. I also loved the message of being able to help no matter how big you are. Nolen does a great job of getting this beautiful message across in a fun way for children. I also loved the beautiful illustrations by Kadir Nelson.

I would definitely use this book in my classroom. It would be great in a study of tall tales. It also would make a fun read aloud, and it tells a story with a powerful message.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Kadir Nelson and his illustrations do not disappoint in this interesting new folktale of sorts. Hewitt's parents and ancestors have all been giants, but for some reason, he is normal-sized. His parents worry about him, but really they shouldn't, because he is resourceful and intelligent and saves them on numerous occasions. Some have complained about the writing, but I enjoyed it. I thought it was very grown-up considering this is a children's picture book, though not in a condescending way, more like in an old-fashioned storyteller or bard that gets paid for how eloquent they can talk.

[Debbie Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reviewing this book as great because I started reading it yesterday and it was wonderful. In fact, it was so wonderful that the kids in my school library yanked it out of my hands and wouldn't give it back! It's the story of Hewitt Anderson who is a normal size but born into a family of giants (who really LIKE being giants). In fact, they are a bit alarmed that Hewitt is so little. The pictures that Kadir Nelson pairs with the text are so evocative that it really adds a level of emotion that would not have been there without the pictures. The vocabulary is AMAZING. I'm looking forward to actually being able to finish it, because the beginning was AWESOME.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is a lot to like about Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life. The pictures are lovely, the vocabulary is diverse and challenging, and the story is one that might appeal to little kids who navigate through the adult world.

My niece, nephew, and I didn't really care for this book too much, though. It was long, it unwound slowly, and ultimately, it couldn't hold the kids' attention to the end. This story might be the right one for the right kid, but it wasn't the right one for the kids that I read to.

[Jordan]

Hewitt is a young boy who is the son of giants. While both of his parents and all of their friends are giants, Hewitt is abnormally small. His parents love him anyway but are concerned for his safety in the giant world. They try to teach him ways to cope with the giant world, but Hewitt ends up saving them several times. It's a wonderful children's book about how size does not matter and that both big and small are great sizes. The pictures are very vivid and interesting to look at and it is a very enjoyable story.

[Katie Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hewitt is a small boy living in a world of giants. His parents constantly worry about him being so small until one day he rescues them from being trapped in a storage room by unlocking it. His parents then realize that it does not matter what size he is, but that they love him for who was. This book can be used to show students that a persons size or height does not matter, it is what is on the inside that counts.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kadir Nelson seems incapable of illustrating a book poorly - his consistency is a real plus in picking up anything he's had a hand in creating. His use of perspective, facial expressions, movement and tension give the accompanying narrative a real world to unfold in. This story is about a human-sized boy born to giants. It revolves around this parents' desire for him to "grow up" but coming to accept him for who he was and seeing the benefits that "grew" out of that.

[Sarah Attayek]

A parents love is not deterred by differences. Though Hewitt was really small, his parents loved him and appreciated his talents. Living in a Giant world, Hewitt had to learn to adapt and use his own unique abilities to survive. He rescued his parents at times and goes to show that everyone has special qualities to bring to society. Everyone is different and that is a good thing because that's is how people survive.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though Hewitt is much smaller than his giant parents, he has hidden talents that help him save the day on more than one occasion. Nolen tells a great story - perfect for elementary-age picture book readers - and Nelson provides bigger-than-life illustrations that match the story well. This is a great story for anyone who feels different - especially when comparing themselves to other members of their family.

[Anna Keegan]

Anderson's story reveals the life of a boy who does not quite fit in his family of giant parents. The book follows his family, their activities, and the way that they relate to one another. Hewitt, though he struggles throughout the book, eventually his able to use his height to his advantage. The story is very sweet. However, I worry that is too wordy for a child's attention span.

[Breezy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story itself is a little wordy, but aside from that this was a great story to read to my kids. They are both a bit small for their ages so they got to see how that is not necessarily a bad thing. The illustrations were perfectly detailed. I love how it is a unique twist of Jack and the Beanstalk.