I Don't Want to be Big

04/28/2023

I Don’t Want to be Big

It’s always fun to find a great read-aloud. Something that you, as the reader, can enjoy reading as much as the kids can enjoy listening to. The cadence of the text, the voices, and the expressions can be so much fun!

I Don’t Want to be Big, written by Dev Petty and illustrated by Mike Boldt, is one such book. In this book, frog does not want to eat his dinner. He’s decided he does not want to get any bigger. So, there is no need to eat dinner. He’s quite fine being the size he is (thank you very much). His dad and friends tell him all the great things he will miss by being small, such as meeting the tree frogs, being able to reach things, and so on. 

At the end of the story, he realizes that growing big does not mean he has to grow up and stop having fun. He decides he will grow big, but he will not take a bath.

As a librarian, what fun it is to find a humorous and adorable book to read at storytime. As a parent, what fun it is to read with your little ones. Reading aloud to little ones helps build their vocabulary, listening skills, fluency in word pronunciation, and can help improve their working memory.

So, I recommend brushing up on your voices, purchasing I Don’t Want to Be Big, and preparing for some fun. Oh, the discussions you can have after: What is the best thing about being small? What is the best thing about being big? Who doesn’t love slop with ants for dinner?

Reviewed by Nancy Stetzinger, Penworthy’s Product Manager