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Small
A little girl finds that no matter what she tries to do, her older, bigger sister always overshadows her. But then Small comes into her own one landmark day when her sister is caught up a tree and is afraid to climb down. It is Small who comes to her rescue, and the incident makes her realize that she doesn’t have to live in anyone’s shadow any more.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2006
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Meserve
36 books12 followersJessica Meserve is the illustrator of all the Daisy Dawson books. She is also an author and illustrator of several picture books.
"I received my BA and Ma in Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art. After leaving college, I worked for four years in publishing as a Children’s book designer. One spring day in 2001 I woke up ready for change. I finally took the plunge and quit my job to pursue my true passion of children’s illustration. Small was the first book I both wrote and illustrated.”
Since then she has published several books, moved between the UK, Canada and the US and has now settled in the UK with her family. She recently studied for an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art where she rediscovered her love of painting and pursued her passion for picture books.
What Clara Saw, will be published by Macmillan in April 2019.
"I received my BA and Ma in Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art. After leaving college, I worked for four years in publishing as a Children’s book designer. One spring day in 2001 I woke up ready for change. I finally took the plunge and quit my job to pursue my true passion of children’s illustration. Small was the first book I both wrote and illustrated.”
Since then she has published several books, moved between the UK, Canada and the US and has now settled in the UK with her family. She recently studied for an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art where she rediscovered her love of painting and pursued her passion for picture books.
What Clara Saw, will be published by Macmillan in April 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 15, 2018
Small Sister by Jessica Meserve
11/15/18
4/5
Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Grades K-2
This book proposes a real life struggle that most people with older siblings experience. It teaches you that just because you aren't good at everything your older sibling is good at, you are unique and have abilities and gifts that not everyone has. I would totally recommend this book to a class of lower level elementary readers!
11/15/18
4/5
Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Grades K-2
This book proposes a real life struggle that most people with older siblings experience. It teaches you that just because you aren't good at everything your older sibling is good at, you are unique and have abilities and gifts that not everyone has. I would totally recommend this book to a class of lower level elementary readers!
September 20, 2018
Genre: Realistic
Small Sister warmed my heart, because I was the BIG Sister and I wasn't a very nice big sister. In fact, when I was younger I was very mean to my sister and now I feel very bad about that. This book reminded me of my awful past and it also made me reflect how my sister might have felt.
Small Sister warmed my heart, because I was the BIG Sister and I wasn't a very nice big sister. In fact, when I was younger I was very mean to my sister and now I feel very bad about that. This book reminded me of my awful past and it also made me reflect how my sister might have felt.
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December 11, 2020I usually rate children's books based on how my children react to them. However this time I will not rate. I loved the book and found both the story, the pictures and the message heart warming. But we may have read it too soon to our child. At 4yrs old and an older sibling, the story had nothing to offer. It got ignored like a foreign language. So I'll reserve my rating for another reread.
September 21, 2021
Atât de multă sensibilitate într-o carte atât de mică.
May 18, 2024
Fun. I can identify because I am a little sister.
November 25, 2025
A lovely book about small sisters feeling lost in big sister shadows. As a little sister, I definitely know how that feels. But I also know that even small sisters can do big things.
September 27, 2016
I thought this was a fantastic book, probably one of my favorite easy read books now. I would recommend this book to be read to a class setting or even a daily/nightly book read. It can teach the listeners that have siblings that although they might be the youngest and often compared to their older sibling, does not mean they can't be better at something that their older sibling isn't as good at. I think the message of it is perfect and the illustration definitely helps tie it all in together. If it were going to be read to a class setting, I would say 3rd or 2nd and younger.
August 31, 2016
Super creative! I like the fact that the names chosen for the sisters remained "Big" and "Small", and also that Big remains only a shadow on the wall for as long as Small feels inferior.
Also I, as the youngest in the family, really appreciate the reality of it all. The inferiority, the almost stubbornly brave will of the younger sibling, who is still too naive to realize the danger. And you can't have a relationship between two sisters without a few dirty tricks :) This is a truly brilliant story, and I can tell that a lot of thought and imagination was put into it. A truly enjoyable book!
Also I, as the youngest in the family, really appreciate the reality of it all. The inferiority, the almost stubbornly brave will of the younger sibling, who is still too naive to realize the danger. And you can't have a relationship between two sisters without a few dirty tricks :) This is a truly brilliant story, and I can tell that a lot of thought and imagination was put into it. A truly enjoyable book!
October 16, 2008
Genre: Picture Book
Audience: K & 1st
Topic: Sisters
Theme: Sisterly love
Curricular Uses: Read Aloud, Independent reading
Reading Level: Early Readers
Illustrations: Beautiful illustrations that reinforce the text. Intricate details bring this simple story to life.
Additional Comments: This simple story sends a huge message to readers. Great book to read to children to show a relationship between two sisters. Shows that little sisters can be brave. Children will love reading this on their own. Very primary book.
Audience: K & 1st
Topic: Sisters
Theme: Sisterly love
Curricular Uses: Read Aloud, Independent reading
Reading Level: Early Readers
Illustrations: Beautiful illustrations that reinforce the text. Intricate details bring this simple story to life.
Additional Comments: This simple story sends a huge message to readers. Great book to read to children to show a relationship between two sisters. Shows that little sisters can be brave. Children will love reading this on their own. Very primary book.
August 16, 2011
Small and Big are sisters. This is one of the reasons that I had to pick up this book. I have two little girls who are going through big and small issues. Big can jump higher and run faster and as we all know the little one can feel left behind or in this case stuck in Big's shadow.
The illustrations are beautiful and the idea of only showing small and using big as shadows mark up until the end is just brilliant. This is just the kind of book that a younger child really needs to read and see. We will be buying this book.
The illustrations are beautiful and the idea of only showing small and using big as shadows mark up until the end is just brilliant. This is just the kind of book that a younger child really needs to read and see. We will be buying this book.
February 23, 2008
Small lives in the shadow of Big, her older sister. When Big makes Small very angry, Small takes action, then immediately regrets it. The beauty of this story is in its simplicity, appeal to younger siblings, and swift and satisfying resolution. Digitalized illustrations carry the story perfectly as they show Big casting an overhwleming shadow on Small in everything she does. Good for bedtime sharing, this title is sure to spark conversation with either the older or younger child in a family.
October 16, 2008
genre: picture book
audience: k - 1st
topic: sisters
theme: sisterly love
curricular uses: read aloud, independent reading
reading level: early readers
illustrations: gorgeous illustrations, reinforce the text, intricate detail brings this simple story to life
thoughts: good book about sisters. shows how they argue and overcome and make friends by the end of the day even though they make each other mad somethings. gives a good message on sisterly love.
audience: k - 1st
topic: sisters
theme: sisterly love
curricular uses: read aloud, independent reading
reading level: early readers
illustrations: gorgeous illustrations, reinforce the text, intricate detail brings this simple story to life
thoughts: good book about sisters. shows how they argue and overcome and make friends by the end of the day even though they make each other mad somethings. gives a good message on sisterly love.
August 28, 2007
Strong, but rather typical story about a little girl living in her older sister's shadow and how shes copes (and seeks her revenge). What I find particularly notable about the book is it's illustration -- which is really intricate (the blades of grass!) and makes use of interesting perspective, stuff you can really pour over and that leads your eye all over the page and into the drawing.
July 13, 2010
Saw that there are some reviews of this book. Generally talking about the "message" of the book and other stuff like that. Come on, every page of the book looks like a painting. There is almost no need to read it. The fundamental color of the book is green, so appropriate to calm your eyes down after a day at the office. This book is very summer-ish, I am glad I bought it.
October 21, 2008
Small Sister is a picture book that would be a good book for an emergent reader. The pictures confirm the meaning of the written words. Small is always living in Big's shadow until one day Small lets Big's parrot go. Small climbs up the tree and gets Big's parrot and then they live together.
June 17, 2008
Perfect book for the younger child in the family. It's about always being in the older sisters shadow. The illustrations were executed in a digital media and they are so colorful.
November 1, 2010
Very cute! Read on recommendation.
September 20, 2012
Sweet, simple story of a little sister who always feels like she's stuck in big sister's shadow. Just lovely.
December 3, 2013
Overall this book had a good message. Not to live in a shadow, and not to let people treat you poorly.
December 19, 2013
I LOVE Jessica Meserve's illustrations!
June 10, 2014
I love books about sibling rivalry and this one is a beautiful story.
May 19, 2016
I liked the girl climbing the tree.
December 5, 2016
LOVE THIS BOOK!!! Richly illustrated and really cleverly told and a great message for sisters or even just siblings getting along and living in the shadow of another!
May 19, 2016
Schöne Geschichte und tolle Illustrationen.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews