Title: Big
Genre: Picture book
Targeted Age: PreK-3rd Grade
Plot Summary: A happy young girl is overwhelmed with negative feelings when judged and excluded and labeled because she isn't the same size as other kids her age.
Justification for book choice: Texas 2x2, This book has won multiple awards and Vashti Harrison is a wonderful writer/illustrator.
Evaluation:
Character: The first page introduces us to a happy baby girl. As she learns and grows, being a "big girl" is good. But as time goes one, the word big becomes a negative word. As she goes through familiar scenes on the playground, mall, and school it is through her facial expressions that we understand how she feels as she has very little dialogue. I think it is powerful that the girl is never named. It gives the character both anonymity but also gives place for the reader to put themselves in her place or to see her anywhere or everywhere. We are thus experiencing the emotions with her as she changes from happy to sad, judged and embarrassed, then regains self love and returns to happy again.
Style and Language: Harrison's use of narration is kept very minimal both in actual size and use. She uses the illustrations to do a lot of the story telling. I think it is significant that she uses the word big as both a positive and a negative term for describing the little girl. The words that others use to describe the girl are in lighter shades and hues and use various fonts that differ from the "official" narration. This suggests that their importance is less, even though their fonts can be very large on a page. Even if they are less important the result of such statements still impacts the little girl. The positive words flow in a wind like manner and by the warm colors on those pages indicate that they are good.
Illustrations: Harrison's use of color clearly keeps the focus on the girl and how words affect her for good and bad. By always having the girl in color, the images evoke more emotion and feelings than the words alone. Some of the most powerful pages are only illustrations without any words. Because the little girl's face is the most clear and focused section of illustration on every page, the reader is aware of her feelings and reaction. The reader is drawn to see things from her perspective as she works through some tough feelings.
Citation: Harrison, V., (2023). Big (V. Harrison, illus.). Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.