Reviews for YOU ARE (NOT) SMALL:
“This picture book packs in a huge life lesson that, if grasped by kids today, could exponentially benefit the future. That lesson boiling down to: your way is not the only way. Your culture is not the only culture. The world needs all kinds of people. We need big bears and small bears. Blue bears and brown bears. Old fish, new fish, red fish, blue fish. Let’s go eat.” --MOARGeek.com
“Go get You Are (Not) Small right now. Read it every night—you will do this voluntarily. Read it to the kids, if you want. They will love it as much as you will...Wonderful debut from this husband / wife team. Up next: That is (Not) Mine 2015.”—KidLitReviews
“Like Rosenthal and Lichtenheld’s Duck! Rabbit!, the debuting husband-and-wife team of Kang and Weyant uses the picture book form for a sophisticated philosophical debate...Start a discussion on the difficulty of establishing standards—or else just read it and giggle.”—Publishers Weekly
“In this endearing story, two bears argue about perspective...The punch line at the end will have audiences laughing. This is a funny book with a good-hearted lessonto which children will easily relate. The illustrations complement the text nicely; the characters are expressive and likeable. The use of white space and large text make this a perfect book for reading aloud or for a shared lap read.” —School Library Journal
“...an amusing story that explores the relative nature of size...the concepts are pertinent to several important social issues such as bullying and racism, as well as understanding point of view. Charming characters, a clever plot and a quiet message tucked inside a humorous tale.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Kang and Weyant bolster the accessibility of their tidy metaphor by creating sweet-looking, relatable creatures and placing them in an environment with no distinguishing features; children will have no trouble seeing themselves in the situation—and the solution.” —Booklist
“With only 90+ words in total, and the full extent of vocabulary used at fewer than thirty words from the very earliest sight vocabulary lists, this recent release has managed to achieve the Seuss-like magic...Its a keeper, and when kids wear it out, replace it. PLEASE.” —Unpacking the POWER of Picture Books
“This is a great title for youngsters…You Are (Not) Small is a great title that can help introduce concepts of tolerance and acceptance, helping children understand that everyone is different, and difference is normal.” – Mackin Books in Bloom
“This playful take on perspective details a confrontation between two bears . . . Husband and wife team Kang and Weyant nail the concept and provide humor along the way. The story’s structure makes it an entertaining readaloud, and the dialogue between the two bears authentically captures child logic.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“What some parents may use as a lesson in relativity others will embrace as an encouragement to good-humored humility.” —Wall Street Journal
“[A] funny book with a good-hearted lesson.” —School Library Journal
“This picture book would be very useful to teach perspective and point-of view to young readers and touches on conflict resolution. The large font and use of white "space, along with simple yet very effective illustrations, will make this book very popular as a read-aloud and for independent reading.” —Library Media Connection
“Snuggly, fun picture book about sizing the world up.” —Common Sense Media
“Small. Big. Kang’s experimentation with those words (and Weyant’s visual play) is what makes this one sing for big readers and small ones.” —This Picture Book Life
“Size matters. Or does it? And aren’t things like “big” and “small” relative concepts anyway? You bet they are, as husband-and-wife author-illustrator team Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant make clear in their debut children’s book, the spare and thought-provoking You Are (Not) Small...It’s Relativism 101 for children, and it works. Very young children firmly entrenched in the ego stage of psychological development need a story this elemental and uncluttered to drive home the notion that “it’s true for me” doesn’t make something true for everyone. Kang and Weyant pull this off without belaboring the point, and Weyant’s loose and cheerful cartoon illustrations, rendered in ink and watercolors, make it all accessible and much fun. His palette is soft and warm, and his bulbous-nosed creatures, outlined in a thick black line, are endearing...It’s big fun.” —BookPage, Julie Danielson