Think Big!

by Robert Munsch, Dave Whamond (Illustrator)

A new laugh-out-loud tale about the trials and tribulations of an oldest sibling! Jamaal may be the oldest kid in his family, but he somehow got stuck with the smallest room. His parents agree that it isn’t fair, but that is just how it is. But Jamaal isn’t satisfied by the answer – if his parents aren’t going to fix the house, he will use creativity and his own resourcefulness to engineer the perfect space! What will mom and dad say about his home renovation? This brand-new Robert Munsch story has all of the classic Munsch elements — wit, whimsical illustrations, and — at its heart — an ordinary kid who does extraordinary things! Robert Munsch wrote this story for Jamaal, a boy he met at the army base school at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, who was the oldest of his siblings and wanted his own big room too!

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Canada

32 pages, Paperback

Published September 7, 2021

About the author

Robert Munsch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Fordham University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and from Boston University in 1971 with a Master of Arts degree in anthropology.

He studied to become a Jesuit priest, but decided he would rather work with children after jobs at orphanages and daycare centers. In 1973, he received a Master of Education in Child Studies from Tufts University. In 1975 he moved to Canada to work at the preschool at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. He also taught in the Department of Family Studies at the University of Guelph as a lecturer and as an assistant professor. In Guelph he was encouraged to publish the many stories he made up for the children he worked with.

Munsch's wife delivered two stillborn babies in 1979 and 1980. Out of the tragedy, he produced one of his best-known books, Love You Forever. This book was listed fourth on the 2001 Publishers Weekly All-Time Best selling Children's Books list for paperbacks at 6,970,000 copies (not including the 1,049,000 hardcover copies). The Munsches have since become adoptive parents of Julie, Andrew and Tyya (see them all in Something Good!)

Munsch has obsessive-compulsive disorder and has also suffered from manic depression. In August 2008, Munsch suffered a stroke that affected his ability to speak in normal sentences. He has recovered enough that he is able to perform live, but has put his writing career on hold until he is fully recovered.

Reviews

[Shani · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was amazing!!
He was very exciting
Many thanks to Robert for this book.
Read it urgently!!

[Alexius · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. Rated G. It’s very cute, and encourages children to think. Jamaal is the main character and he uniquely solves his small room problem.

[Chance Hansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the greatest children’s authors of our time and honestly I just don’t completely get this one. This book feels a little off Munsch.

Cover
The cover is pretty cute, having Jamaal too big for the cover is a clever way to play off the what we are going to expect. The same can be with using the car jack on the title. Back cover looks great. Minimal and easy to read. I like how the author bio ties in to the books theme and story by explaining where the idea came from.

Interior
Story
The story overall isn’t too bad. It’s simple with a simple end and definitely has sparks of Munch’s style to the story but it only comes in waves. The other times it just feels off. Munsch isn’t shy with repetition but this book takes it what normally an artistic decision and make it feel more “filler-ish”.
The strangest thing about it is that with the amount of pages and “filler” it seems really short. Personally I think more could have been done with this concept. I don’t know if the text, illustration or a combination of the both.
Illustration
With that let’s talk about the illustrations. The characters look great I love the dog and the first page. The strength really comes in the character’s expressions and the personality that pet has. The back ground poster of characters getting smooshed into the frames is awesome! The illustrations while have a lot of charm some are pretty minimal. It does complement the story. The text nor the illustrations over shadows the other.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun and wacky story from Robert Munsch. When Jamaal, the biggest kid in the family has the smallest room he finds a most ingenious and imaginative way to fix the problem. Soon his whole house is being stretched to the limit.

[Tracy Schillemore · Rating 3 out of 5]

It isn't old school Robert Munsch but it is a decent story.

[Charlotte van Walraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say... It's Robert Munsch.

[Maki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, love his imagination.

[Jeanine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really hoping that either the parents' responses or attitudes would change or that it would at least have that classic Munsch repeating rhythm, but unfortunately this one just didn't get there.

[Scarlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one: it was wacky and outside the ordinary enough to be really fun. The only negative about it would be the parents not addressing the kid’s discontent at the beginning 😜

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not find this enjoyable. Jamaal is the oldest child, but he has the smallest room. The solution to the problem isn't a solution at all. And I did not enjoy the illustrations.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Jamaal is not happy as he is the biggest kid in his family but he has the smallest room. When his parents fail to listen and address his concerns, he takes matters into his own hands. This story will resonate with young readers with big ideas and big solutions. It’s a quick fun and quirky read to add to a young builder’s book collection.

Thank you to Scholastic Canada for the book.

[Sayak · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5