Little Family, Big Values: Lessons in Love, Respect, and Understanding for Families of Any Size [Hardcover]

The Roloff Family (Author), Tracy Sumner (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2007

From the stars of TLC's critically acclaimed reality show Little People, Big World comes heartfelt advice to help today's families overcome life's obstacles together and grow closer in the process.

The Roloffs are no ordinary family. Parents Matt and Amy are little people raising four children: a pair of teenage twins, Jeremy and Zachary, one of whom is average size and one who is little; preteen daughter, Molly; and the youngest, Jacob. Being part of this unique family -- where something as simple as shopping for back-to-school clothing can be a real challenge -- has presented no shortage of struggles, and in Little Family, Big Values the Roloffs share the values that have helped them and become the cornerstone of their bond.

Through family stories, each member of the family weighs in on the importance of these values in their life and the lessons -- sometimes hard -- they've learned in doing their best to live by them:

• Amy tells of the decision she made, out of love for her family, to put her career as a teacher on hold and become a stay-at-home mom.
• Matt shares how keeping faith that God has a plan for him has helped him tackle any family setbacks with confidence.
• Jeremy describes the respect he feels for his brother Zach when he sees him on the soccer field giving players twice his size a run for their money.
• Zachary recognizes his siblings' love for him when they willingly sacrifice a Christmas at home to be with him at the hospital for surgery.
• Matt's mother, Peggy, reveals how his perseverance with a boyhood paper route helped him become the successful businessman he is today.

In these and other inspiring stories, the Roloffs show us why they've become such a beloved American family and offer advice on how all families can put these values into practice to achieve a greater level of love, respect, and understanding -- no matter what their size.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For such a unique family, the Roloffs' heavily ghost-written memoir is surprisingly conventional. Residents of Portland, Ore., and stars of TLC's popular reality TV show, Little People, Big World, the Roloffs are little people-Matt and his wife, Amy, stand less than four feet high; they have four children, one a little person, three of average size. Though this eclectic living situation suggests any number of intriguing perspectives, the book's "lessons" are sadly lacking in individual voices. Among sections written under the name of specific family members, including Matt's mother, the prose is indistinct. Lessons and insights are stock: Matt observes that "each of our children has the same two parents, and yet their personalities are all very different"; Amy, on "Roloff Family Value #3", perseverance, says "you keep going, even when things are difficult." The spark that Roloff family fans expect crops up in a few places, as in daughter Molly's brief diatribe on dealing with outsiders: "Sometimes I just want to say, 'Yeah, my mom and dad are short. So what?' " For the most part, unfortunately, the people presented here don't reflect the lively family of reality TV-in fact, they hardly seem real at all. Photos.
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About the Author

The Roloff Family lives on Roloff Farms, just outside Portland, Oregon. They can be seen on the TLC television show Little People, Big World.

Tracy Sumner is the coauthor of Matt Roloff's memoir, Against Tall Odds. He lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Fireside (April 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416549102
• ISBN-13: 978-1416549109
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,122,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Put This on Your "Must Read" List, April 10, 2007

By 

Mark Ebert (Lancaster OH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Little Family, Big Values: Lessons in Love, Respect, and Understanding for Families of Any Size (Hardcover)

LITTLE FAMILY, BIG VALUES is a worthwhile read. Similiar, in some respects, to the "Chicken Soup" series, it lists eleven different values held dear by the Roloff family and then showcases each one with testimonials by various family members: Matt, Amy, their twins sons, their daughter, and Matt's parents.

This book works well as a study that a family could go through while reading the book together. After reading about the Roloff family's experience with a certain value, a family could then share their own stories and discover the lessons they have learned through the lives of their own family members.

Furthermore, this book could work well for someone opened to learning these values as an adult. Often therapy sessions might be too expensive or simple asking too embarrassing, but someone seeking a moral compass could do far worse than this book.

To some degree, this non-fiction work is a bold move in today's social climate. Here, the Roloff family celebrates instilling time-tested values in their children and makes no apologizes for their faith, love, or work ethic. Some will undoubtedly view this as politically incorrect or that the Roloff's are "shoving it down their throat", but in reality it is as simple as someone sharing what works with a neighbor and since the reader is paying for the book, or borrowing it from a library, it really isn't "shoved" on them, is it?

Three of the six immediate members of the Roloff family might be "little people", but from cover to cover one only sees what was once called a "typical American family" shining through. File this book under inspirational, encouraging, and educational.

The question might arise...Who is this book aimed at? I would recommend it to readers of any age, because various age groups give testimonies throughout the literary work it will appeal to anyone who is interested in this subject, or the television series the family appears in.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Relaxing and informative, August 29, 2007

By 

K. W. Bennink (Netherlands) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Little Family, Big Values: Lessons in Love, Respect, and Understanding for Families of Any Size (Hardcover)

Great book.

I really like watching the TV series because of the family dynamics laced with humor, laughter and a occasionally a little sadness.
It's one of very few reality shows that I watch, and this book pretty much gave me the same enjoyable ride as the series do.

It's a collection of stories with a clear "main theme/value" running through them.
Written as a `gentle push in the right direction', as a `this works really good for us, and it might work for you too so here are some suggestions'. Not at all as a `these are the rules, now go follow them'.

And not from one point of view, but from several family members/relatives points of view, which is interesting and fun to read. Throughout the book you get the feeling that there always is room for questioning/different views, yet it's clearly explained why they do things a certain way.

Nothing is shoved down your throat, not even religion (which as an atheist reader was such a big plus, almost relief, because mutual respect is just so much better than looking down on someone because they don't share the same beliefs).

So, get a cup of tea, lean back and enjoy.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!!!!, July 5, 2007

By 

Carol D. Magers (Sherman, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Little Family, Big Values: Lessons in Love, Respect, and Understanding for Families of Any Size (Hardcover)

My daughter and I truly enjoyed this book. This family is amazing and their values are wonderful. We watch their TV show every episode and it is so heartwarming to see what this family has accomplished and the values that Matt and Amy teach their kids. If everyone could see this family as they see each other, it would be great. Matt, Amy and Zach may be little people, BUT they've never let that get in their way of success in all they do. Many people in the world could really learn from just reading this book about a truly wonderful, Christian family that puts their feelings and values on the table for everyone to learn from. I would recommend this read to all and I plan to purchase Matt's other book as well. Best of luck in everything - Matt, Amy, Jeremy, Zach, Molly and Jacob! Thanks for sharing your life with all of us.