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Something Big
A big one and little one talk together. The little one is frustrated because he wants to do something really big, even though he's still small. The big one asks if he means something big like a mountain. No, a mountain is too big. Big like an elephant? No, that's too gray. More like a lighthouse by the sea, muses the boy, though not exactly. Father and son take a walk by the ocean, and there something surprising and deep and big occurs. Lyrical and gentle, Something Big is a touching story about childhood, parenting, and experiences that repeat generation after generation. Here the author beautifully grasps the tension between a child's smallness and his ability to dream big dreams.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
40 pages, Hardcover
First published September 10, 2013
37 people want to read
About the author
Sylvie Neeman
15 booksSylvie Neeman (1963). She obtained a license in Letters (literature, linguistics and philosophy).
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 29, 2015
I like this book for a few reasons.
1.) The child is not a child, he is a little one. His father is not an adult, he is a big one. This really helps show children that adult or child, we are all human. The book also stresses that the big one was a little one once, and this is a great message for children who feel like adults are lording over them all the time.
2.) I'm a softie for a sweet father/son story. Especially one which doesn't emphasis manliness in some way. The reader just feels like the father and son are friends who love and support each other. There's no females in the story, and therefore no emphasis on how boys and girls are different. I like it.
3.) I think the story shows how children think very differently from adults. And it's important that even though the father doesn't exactly understand what the son is trying to say, he's very supportive in trying to help the boy achieve his goal.
4.) The son is smart, not an idiot like so many children in kid's books.
5.) The son saves the life of a fish. This is sweet.
I think it's fair to mention that the illustrations are hideous, but that kind of adds to the story.
1.) The child is not a child, he is a little one. His father is not an adult, he is a big one. This really helps show children that adult or child, we are all human. The book also stresses that the big one was a little one once, and this is a great message for children who feel like adults are lording over them all the time.
2.) I'm a softie for a sweet father/son story. Especially one which doesn't emphasis manliness in some way. The reader just feels like the father and son are friends who love and support each other. There's no females in the story, and therefore no emphasis on how boys and girls are different. I like it.
3.) I think the story shows how children think very differently from adults. And it's important that even though the father doesn't exactly understand what the son is trying to say, he's very supportive in trying to help the boy achieve his goal.
4.) The son is smart, not an idiot like so many children in kid's books.
5.) The son saves the life of a fish. This is sweet.
I think it's fair to mention that the illustrations are hideous, but that kind of adds to the story.
June 11, 2018
Excellent book for Fathers Day!
January 25, 2019
A lot of dialogue, and quite abstract. Kept Maren's attention but Bud did wander away for this one.
November 19, 2015
Something Big
By: Sylvie Neeman and Ingrid Godon
Summary: I LOVED this book. It shows love and support and encouragement. In this book there were never names given to the characters. They were simply called The Big One and The Little One. It is a relationship between a daddy and his son. The son is feeling very discouraged with not being able to do something big with his life. Although he isn’t really sure what that something big is just yet. He knows it is not as big as the mountains or anything like that, but it is big. The Big One and The Little One go for a walk on the ocean where they continue to talk about the something big The Little One wants to do. They spend a bit of time there before heading back home. On the way home The Little One sees a fish stuck between two rocks. He immediately helps the little fish to get out of the rocks and back to the big ocean. At his age, that was his something big!
Activity: This is a must read. It shows a relationship between and father and son that is encouraging and full of support. It is one of those books that make you say “awwww!!” at the end of It and want to read it all over again. The pictures in this book look like a very little one drew them, like just a crayon and paper. In the book, there were so many descriptive words. SO the activity that we would do is talk about how the descriptive words really made this book seem more real and how it helped us as the reader to feel exactly how The Little One was feeling. So with the 2nd grade class, this would be a good entry way into a writing prompt where the kiddos are asked to talk about something they have done in their life that would be Something Big. How it made them feel, what the area around them looked like. We would talk about how descriptive words make for a better story and to help the reader feel like they are there with them. With this they will be asked to draw a little picture.
Citation:
Neeman, S., & Godon, I. (2013). Something big.
By: Sylvie Neeman and Ingrid Godon
Summary: I LOVED this book. It shows love and support and encouragement. In this book there were never names given to the characters. They were simply called The Big One and The Little One. It is a relationship between a daddy and his son. The son is feeling very discouraged with not being able to do something big with his life. Although he isn’t really sure what that something big is just yet. He knows it is not as big as the mountains or anything like that, but it is big. The Big One and The Little One go for a walk on the ocean where they continue to talk about the something big The Little One wants to do. They spend a bit of time there before heading back home. On the way home The Little One sees a fish stuck between two rocks. He immediately helps the little fish to get out of the rocks and back to the big ocean. At his age, that was his something big!
Activity: This is a must read. It shows a relationship between and father and son that is encouraging and full of support. It is one of those books that make you say “awwww!!” at the end of It and want to read it all over again. The pictures in this book look like a very little one drew them, like just a crayon and paper. In the book, there were so many descriptive words. SO the activity that we would do is talk about how the descriptive words really made this book seem more real and how it helped us as the reader to feel exactly how The Little One was feeling. So with the 2nd grade class, this would be a good entry way into a writing prompt where the kiddos are asked to talk about something they have done in their life that would be Something Big. How it made them feel, what the area around them looked like. We would talk about how descriptive words make for a better story and to help the reader feel like they are there with them. With this they will be asked to draw a little picture.
Citation:
Neeman, S., & Godon, I. (2013). Something big.
December 20, 2013
This book is mostly a conversation between "the big one" (the adult) and "the little one" (a child). The little one is trying to communicate a desire to accomplish something important and, in the end, it turns out to be a simple task that gets him there.
I love the message in this book and I like the conversational style. It is a little long and I didn't really like the illustrations, which are stylized yet messy, as if a child drew them. I thought perhaps the childish style would factor in to the story but I think this would have been better with cleaner, simpler pictures.
I love the message in this book and I like the conversational style. It is a little long and I didn't really like the illustrations, which are stylized yet messy, as if a child drew them. I thought perhaps the childish style would factor in to the story but I think this would have been better with cleaner, simpler pictures.
June 18, 2014
I liked this one. I wish the cover (and back cover) had different images from the book. It looks like a very sad and depressing book based on these images--yet it is not. It is indeed serious, but the cover might lead one to believe it is much darker than it is. One of the images from the story of the child on the beach would have been a much better choice, and certainly more appealing. I fear that this title will sit on the shelf forever and be overlooked because its appearance is somewhat off-putting.
August 3, 2016
It is hard to find a balanced picture book that addresses a concern meant for children in an interesting, unique way that they can understand. This book does most of these things, but it really seems geared towards an adult reader, or at the very least an older elementary child. I don't think there are many children who would readily understand the message about how small actions can have big impacts, especially not with the wordiness.
January 24, 2014
A sort of "what if" conversation between
Little One and Big One. Full of wonder and exploration...it speaks to me more as a parent and I'm not sure how kids will respond to it. My own 9yo wasn't wowed by it.
Little One and Big One. Full of wonder and exploration...it speaks to me more as a parent and I'm not sure how kids will respond to it. My own 9yo wasn't wowed by it.
October 6, 2013
Sweet story about a father and son exploring what it means to "do something big." Interesting illustrations.
April 2, 2015
imo: not child-like enough. Too adult
December 7, 2013
This is basically the story of the boy throwing the individual starfish back into the ocean. "It mattered to that one." The build up is a little long-winded.
February 6, 2014
A great look at paradox and perspective. Maybe a bit too existentially contemplative for the intended audience.
March 1, 2014
The art style is unique. Not bad but not really my thing. I felt like the story itself was too wordy, though.
April 10, 2014
Odd but sweet.
June 8, 2014
A nice story of a young boy's desire to be bigger (grow up) and a warm-hearted fatherhood story. Recommend this book for young elementary boys who are thinker/quiet/creative!!
August 7, 2016
Muy conmovedor. Para compartir entre un adulto y un niño.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews