I Am Small

PreS-Gr 2—Mimi is small—smaller than Daddy, Mommy, two older siblings, and Gus the dog. She is smaller than everyone in her school class and goes unnoticed in the crush of sidewalk crowds. She has a list of things that bug her about her size—bouncing around on the school bus, in shops where she is lower (and again, smaller than most displays), and especially in her school, where all tower over her from classroom to lunchroom. Her family and friends are aware of her feelings and point out size advantages such as her "small secret places" to hide or time to snuggle with Mommy and Daddy. Then Daddy introduces her to a new family member, one even tinier than she. Suddenly she is a big sister. Pen, ink, and watercolor softly illustrate Mimi's world—from playing Knights with Gus to synchronized swimming in the bathtub—with a first-person narrative of detailed scenes that illuminate her inventive imagination and frustrations living small in a big world.