Big
by Vashti Harrison; illus. by the author
Primary    Little, Brown    64 pp.
5/23    9780316353229    $19.99
e-book ed.  9780316566223    $12.99

As Harrison writes in her author’s note, “In childhood, big is good. Big is impressive, aspirational. But somewhere along the way, the world begins to tell us something different: That big is bad. That being big is undesirable.” Words matter, as a beautiful little Black girl learns. The girl, a dancer who wears a leotard and tutu throughout the book, “grew and learned and laughed…and grew and grew and grew. And it was good…until it wasn’t.” When she accidentally gets stuck in the baby swing on the school playground, her classmates and even her teacher hurl hurtful words and laughter, which begin to affect the youngster’s self-esteem and self-perception. The text is spare but pointed; Harrison’s emotionally powerful, pink-hued illustrations focus on her protagonist’s inner experience. The girl looks like a giant in school and at dance class, “exposed, judged, yet invisible.” The openness of the illustrations gives way to more cramped and overwhelming compositions as the girl, now in blue-gray, feels increasingly hemmed in by others’ judgments—a visible statement about the impact of fatphobia and the adultification of Black children. This girl’s story ends triumphantly; she takes her teacher’s and classmates’ hateful words and hands them back, saying, “These are yours. They hurt me.” This book offers readers an opportunity to remember that we all deserve love and respect—no matter what size we are.

From the May/June 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.