When I’m Big

Karen BLAIR, When I’m Big, Penguin Books Australia, April 2023, 32 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781761045813

A gentle story about a little girl who longs to grow up to be ‘a big girl’ so that she can do all the things that her small size prevents her from doing – climbing higher, jumping further, and helping more.

The early illustrations are delightful, but some very young children might share her concern as she imagines herself growing bigger and bigger. These later illustrations depict her as a small giant requiring a bigger bath and bed as she wonders if there will eventually be room for her in the family home.

As she questions whether she ‘will fit anywhere’, her happiness returns with the arrival of a new baby, and she is delighted to be a ‘big girl’. Suitable for the early childhood range, ages 2 to 5.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Douglas

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