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BIG
BIG goes beyond the basics to show that size is more than a matter of height. Touching on ideas such as health, citizenship, and imagination, this book can be the key to heartfelt dialogue between children and caregivers about the importance of values over valuables.
From Little Pickle Press web site
From Little Pickle Press web site
32 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2012
1 person is currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Coleen Murtagh Paratore
24 books232 followersI majored in English at The College of Saint Rose, in Albany, and after two internships in advertising and public relations, decided to enter the communications field, which is a place where writers can write and make a living too. I got married three months after graduation (my husband Tony and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary next August ), and we moved to Connecticut. I worked at a large advertising/pr firm during the day and got my master's in English at Trinity College nights. When we moved back to the Albany, New York area a few years later, I took a job as a publicist for Russell Sage College in Troy and soon became Director of Communications for the Sage Colleges. Our son, Christopher, was born in 1989. Two years later I took out a small-business loan, left my "safe job" and founded Books Worth Writing, to develop and publish The Remembering Book, an heirloom-quality tribute to a loved one's life (created after losing my best friend to cancer and wanting to be sure the story of her life was remembered and celebrated). This book-product is now in its 3rd printing, 10,000 copies sold. Around that same time, I began teaching as an adjunct instructor in the English Department at Russell Sage, doing freelance public relations assignments for business and nonprofit clients, and leading public-speaking workshops for women. Our son, Connor, was born in 1992 and then our third son, Dylan, in 1994.
After Dylan was born, I hopped off the career train for a few years to chase after three boys under the age of 5. I wrote a song for each of my sons and sang their special songs to them as bedtime lullabies. I kept a journal (I have on and off since college), wrote poems, and "roasts" for friends' birthdays, planted a perennial garden, a vegetable garden, read tons of books, started a book club, cleared a walking trail in the woods behind our house…and with my three young sons in tow, I returned to my "library days."
We devoured books together, morning, noon and night. We'd fill an L.L. Bean sack full of picture books every week, snuggle up on the couch, and read, read, read. I didn't know it at the time, but in addition to it being enormously FUN, this was fabulous research. As I was devoting my best creative energy to my children and sharing my love of books with them, I was soaking in lessons in characterization and plot and structure and language... feeding my writer's voice in happy hibernation.
I still didn't know that I would write children's books, yet everything in my life was leading me on that path. Ironically, I'd meet former business colleagues out and about and they'd say, "you're writing children's books, right?" I can't tell you how many people asked me that. It wasn't my goal or my intention.
Breaking into this business was the hardest and longest race I've ever run. I wrote stories for four years before I felt the work was ready. And then, once my writing was of publishable quality, it took two years of submitting before I got a contract. 179 rejections later. You've got to want it badly. You've got to read, read, read, and write, write, write and revise, revise, revise, and listen to people who are wiser than you, and learn from your rejections, and take comments from editors very seriously, and be willing to catch the fireflies of inspiration before they fly off forgotten, and, most of all, you've got to BELIEVE in yourself. Believe, believe, believe.
Emerson said "nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." Write on.
After Dylan was born, I hopped off the career train for a few years to chase after three boys under the age of 5. I wrote a song for each of my sons and sang their special songs to them as bedtime lullabies. I kept a journal (I have on and off since college), wrote poems, and "roasts" for friends' birthdays, planted a perennial garden, a vegetable garden, read tons of books, started a book club, cleared a walking trail in the woods behind our house…and with my three young sons in tow, I returned to my "library days."
We devoured books together, morning, noon and night. We'd fill an L.L. Bean sack full of picture books every week, snuggle up on the couch, and read, read, read. I didn't know it at the time, but in addition to it being enormously FUN, this was fabulous research. As I was devoting my best creative energy to my children and sharing my love of books with them, I was soaking in lessons in characterization and plot and structure and language... feeding my writer's voice in happy hibernation.
I still didn't know that I would write children's books, yet everything in my life was leading me on that path. Ironically, I'd meet former business colleagues out and about and they'd say, "you're writing children's books, right?" I can't tell you how many people asked me that. It wasn't my goal or my intention.
Breaking into this business was the hardest and longest race I've ever run. I wrote stories for four years before I felt the work was ready. And then, once my writing was of publishable quality, it took two years of submitting before I got a contract. 179 rejections later. You've got to want it badly. You've got to read, read, read, and write, write, write and revise, revise, revise, and listen to people who are wiser than you, and learn from your rejections, and take comments from editors very seriously, and be willing to catch the fireflies of inspiration before they fly off forgotten, and, most of all, you've got to BELIEVE in yourself. Believe, believe, believe.
Emerson said "nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." Write on.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 1, 2019
The Big Book about Being Big is a lesson for little ones about how "being big" is more than just a matter of size. It teaches the idea of being a better person through examples that show the impact on ourselves and the world around us when we're respectful, thoughtful, and kind.
I really like the illustrations in this book, and the message is fantastic -- growing up has a lot more to do with our insides than how tall we are on the outside.
4 solid stars for this great book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little Pickle Press for providing me with a DRC of this book.
I really like the illustrations in this book, and the message is fantastic -- growing up has a lot more to do with our insides than how tall we are on the outside.
4 solid stars for this great book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little Pickle Press for providing me with a DRC of this book.
May 31, 2020
I like this book! A great book for little ones to understand about becoming big. I can really see myself using this with my younger students. It asks questions like, "Are you Big yet? When, exactly, does BIG happen?" I
It talks about the ways every day that we can choose to be little or we can choose to be BIG.
"One little day at a time"
"One little thought at a time"
"One little question"
"One little action"
"One little change"
I think this is a good book to discuss with kids and has a section at the end for have a discussion about choosing to be big;
"Growing up can be quite the adventure. Every year, you get older and you might grow taller and bigger too. But there are times when growing up feels like it takes forever."
Then some questions are posed to help you have a conversation with your young one and makes for opening up a great dialogue starter.
I liked this little book a lot and want to thank NetGalley for a digital copy to read for review. Highly recommended!
It talks about the ways every day that we can choose to be little or we can choose to be BIG.
"One little day at a time"
"One little thought at a time"
"One little question"
"One little action"
"One little change"
I think this is a good book to discuss with kids and has a section at the end for have a discussion about choosing to be big;
"Growing up can be quite the adventure. Every year, you get older and you might grow taller and bigger too. But there are times when growing up feels like it takes forever."
Then some questions are posed to help you have a conversation with your young one and makes for opening up a great dialogue starter.
I liked this little book a lot and want to thank NetGalley for a digital copy to read for review. Highly recommended!
November 14, 2020
"Big is being the biggest YOU that YOU can be."
This is a good graphic novel to explain everyone can be success according to their own standards.
This is a good graphic novel to explain everyone can be success according to their own standards.
February 10, 2013
BIG! What makes us BIG? It is not just how tall we are.
Mastering a new grade level. That is BIG!
I would say President Obama is BIG. Being a President is a BIG accomplishment.
You can be BIG in your community.
Being BIG enough to set a good example for your younger siblings. This would be a BIG responsibility.
Maybe you are BIG enough to get on your bike without training wheels. That is also a BIG accomplishment!
How will you know when you are BIG? When you succeed at what you are trying to accomplish.
I really liked the lesson the author teaches in this story.
I think it will make a BIG impression on children of all ages.
Probably some grownups too.
It will be fun to see how many times in a day we can succeed in someway BIG.
This story teaches responsibility, to set goals for oneself and to be a good (BIG) citizen.
The illustrator depicts the story with characters and other images that tells the story in a BIG way. The illustrations are in BIG bold colors that will peak the child's imagination.
BIG! BIG! FUN!
I highly recommend this book.
I rated this book a 5 out of 5.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for from Little Pickle Press for review.
I was in no way compensated for this review. It is my honest opinion.
If you found this review helpful vote yes or no here.
Mastering a new grade level. That is BIG!
I would say President Obama is BIG. Being a President is a BIG accomplishment.
You can be BIG in your community.
Being BIG enough to set a good example for your younger siblings. This would be a BIG responsibility.
Maybe you are BIG enough to get on your bike without training wheels. That is also a BIG accomplishment!
How will you know when you are BIG? When you succeed at what you are trying to accomplish.
I really liked the lesson the author teaches in this story.
I think it will make a BIG impression on children of all ages.
Probably some grownups too.
It will be fun to see how many times in a day we can succeed in someway BIG.
This story teaches responsibility, to set goals for oneself and to be a good (BIG) citizen.
The illustrator depicts the story with characters and other images that tells the story in a BIG way. The illustrations are in BIG bold colors that will peak the child's imagination.
BIG! BIG! FUN!
I highly recommend this book.
I rated this book a 5 out of 5.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for from Little Pickle Press for review.
I was in no way compensated for this review. It is my honest opinion.
If you found this review helpful vote yes or no here.
May 20, 2019
I received an electronic ARC from Little Pickle Press through NetGalley.
Delightful story to read as a family or by a young reader. What does it mean to be big? Paratore shares her thoughts on how to be a compassionate, caring young person. She emphasizes that big is more than a size or physical growth; big is being the best person you can be.
The cut paper illustrations add depth to the text and draw the readers into the story.
Use to encourage young readers to believe in themselves and find ways to be supportive and caring.
Delightful story to read as a family or by a young reader. What does it mean to be big? Paratore shares her thoughts on how to be a compassionate, caring young person. She emphasizes that big is more than a size or physical growth; big is being the best person you can be.
The cut paper illustrations add depth to the text and draw the readers into the story.
Use to encourage young readers to believe in themselves and find ways to be supportive and caring.
May 16, 2019
A gorgeous book that is written with care and illustrated with love. This is a book that will be perfect for any little one, helping them understand what it means to be big.
February 26, 2022
I found this book to be an enjoyable read. It has a really good message encouraging students to value important things and be positive and loving. This book definitely appeals to younger children but they would love this book. Along with the good message and story the illustrations were interesting too and had some cool details. Would recommend!
August 18, 2017
The pictures were pretty and the message was good, but it's so boring.
April 11, 2018
Picture Book- This was given o me as a gift from my facilitator. I read it to my second graders on my last day of practicum. I love how it tells kids that they don't have to wait to be "big" but they can be big by being kind, being a good citizen and being responsible. Love it!
January 14, 2013
Originally reviewed at http://www.perogiesandgyoza.com/2013/...
Both size comparisons and measurements feature in the background of Fennell's mixed media illustrations, but the message is that it's not the size of a body, it's the size of one's heart that matters. Small actions can be big when they have a big impact, and anyone is capable of a big action.
I was so pleased that my daughter picked out a perfect companion book for the first grade social studies curriculum I am using. One of the main objectives is to find one's place in their world, the first step toward global citizenship. As Paratore says, "Big is being a valuable member of your family, school, and neighborhood."
Fennell's characters give lots of good ideas of acts of kindness that kids can do to be truly big at heart. Those little acts add up to a lot of change in the world! We were happy to see lots of diversity in the kids featured in this book too, there are so few picture books with kids that look like mine.
Both size comparisons and measurements feature in the background of Fennell's mixed media illustrations, but the message is that it's not the size of a body, it's the size of one's heart that matters. Small actions can be big when they have a big impact, and anyone is capable of a big action.
I was so pleased that my daughter picked out a perfect companion book for the first grade social studies curriculum I am using. One of the main objectives is to find one's place in their world, the first step toward global citizenship. As Paratore says, "Big is being a valuable member of your family, school, and neighborhood."
Fennell's characters give lots of good ideas of acts of kindness that kids can do to be truly big at heart. Those little acts add up to a lot of change in the world! We were happy to see lots of diversity in the kids featured in this book too, there are so few picture books with kids that look like mine.
August 21, 2019
I enjoyed the diversity in the characters portrayed (there was even one in a wheelchair) but other than that it felt a bit BIG and grown-up in its language. What age is this really written for and who will appreciate this? When little kids ask about being big and when will they be big (grown-ups) they are not usually old enough/mature enough to understand the language used here : "BIG is being an active citizen of your city, country, and world."
Oooookay.
Now, to be fair there is a section in the very back that talks in further detail and tells more about how kids can help. Though if I was a little kid, I would hear Charlie Brown's teacher talking: "Mwa wah wah wah." Not all of this section is kid-friendly, and some of it uses jargon and is trite: "The Earth is our most valuable resource." Really? No.
Once again, this is written by adults who think this is how kids are but it is really a book for adults...NOT kids.
Oooookay.
Now, to be fair there is a section in the very back that talks in further detail and tells more about how kids can help. Though if I was a little kid, I would hear Charlie Brown's teacher talking: "Mwa wah wah wah." Not all of this section is kid-friendly, and some of it uses jargon and is trite: "The Earth is our most valuable resource." Really? No.
Once again, this is written by adults who think this is how kids are but it is really a book for adults...NOT kids.
June 26, 2013
Since we received this book, the children have asked to read it again and again. The pictures are so sweet and bright, and the message is clear without being preachy. This is an excellent non-fiction book for children that is fun to read, fun to look at, and fun to learn from.
April 26, 2013
Another great interactive book for the little ones to enjoy. This book also has a great message being told through out it as well.
March 11, 2014
Love the message on what it really means to be "big" and the irony that it takes "little" things to help us become "big." I love a good children's book with a message that applies to all of us.
May 20, 2015
I think this book should be in everyone's household library. Such a good moral. Kids need to know this.
Want to read
July 4, 2019Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
too-old-for-these-now
October 12, 2015Project Cornerstone Champion Year 3 Book 3
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews