Small's Big Dream

While there is nothing in this brilliant picture book that wouldn’t be enjoyed by younger children, to get the most out of it, a little more maturity will be necessary.  The theme is of a small girl, literally small in every way, her house, her bed, her feet, her blanket, all are small – even her shoes – but she has big dreams.  Here lies the crux of the problem.  She loves all things big, the sea, mountains, tall buildings, big parks, space, but she is constantly being told that she dreams too much, and that daydreaming about the big things she wants to do with her life are impossible to such a small, insignificant person, not to mention the fact that they may be dangerous: ‘Head down, feet on the ground, Small’.  So she would ‘sit on them, stamp on them and swallow them back down’.  But one night, her dreams take her up to the moon where she sees lots of other small people like her doing exciting things, and her dreams take on a new reality.  The very last picture shows us an adult Small in the uniform of an astronaut, and we know her big dreams have come true. Wonderfully evocative illustrations add greatly to the whole.