Friday book review – You Are (Not) Small
At 5ft 4ins tall, I’m used to being the smallest person in my family. My son, who’s a whole foot taller than me, has a tendency to pat me on the head when I’m talking to him and even when I wear heels the rest of them tower over me.
So I was thrilled to be sent a copy of a gorgeous new children’s book called You Are (Not) Small. Written by Anna Kang and stunningly illustrated by The New Yorker cartoonist Chris Weyant, it makes the point that size depends on who’s standing next to you. Hence I’m small when I stand next to my son, but gratifyingly tall when I stand next to a four-year-old.
As well as being a picture book that will make young children howl with laughter, You Are (Not) Small is notable because the writer and illustrator are husband and wife. Most married couples can’t even share an office, let alone collaborate on a book, so how did that work?
“I was extremely lucky because the illustrator of my first picture book happened to be my lovely and exteremely talented husband with whom I could bounce off ideas and collaborate so that we were both happy with the vision of the book,” explained Anna.
“But at a certain point, I had to let go and allow Chris to take over and do his job. I joke that Chris and I now have three kids. Two are human and one is a book.”
You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang and Chris Weyant(Hodder Children’s Books, £11.99)