Tell Me What It's Like to Be Big [Hardcover]

Joyce Dunbar (Author), Debi Gliori (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Early one morning, Willa gets up and tries to make her own breakfast. But she’s too small to reach anything. Luckily, her older brother, Willoughby, is there to help--and to tell her about the many things she’ll be able to do all by herself once she’s big.
A cozy sequel to the bestselling Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep, this gentle and reassuring story about growing up is just right for every child--big or small.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

When Willa the rabbit wakes up early one morning, she pulls on her jumpsuit ("this way... and that way... until it was right.") and chicken slippers, and heads downstairs for breakfast. Unfortunately, she can't reach. Big brother Willoughby to the rescue! After waking her brother, Willa plies him with questions about getting big. Willoughby replies with exactly the kind of answers a toddler needs: "You'll be able to brush your own teeth without any help... And when you're really big, nearly as big as I'll be, you might be able to reach the moon in a rocket!" It's only when Willoughby informs his little sister that she'll be too big for toys that the pleasant future-fantasizing screeches to a halt. "I don't ever want to be big," Willa says. Fortunately, Willoughby is thoughtful enough to know when to turn the reins over to someone older, wiser, and infinitely comforting: Mom.

In this sequel to the endearing Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep Joyce Dunbar and Debi Gliori bring back this cuddly pair of siblings for another reassuring tale about childhood worries. Gliori's colorful illustrations are a veritable patchwork quilt of patterns and cozy objects. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

Willa and Willoughby, the sweet floppy-eared rabbit siblings from Tell Me Something Before I Go to Sleep, here explore the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. Very early one morning, Willa rouses her brother to make her breakfast, because "I can't reach." At Willa's urging, Willoughby shows her all the things he can do around their cheery, vibrantly colored home because he's big: from washing the carrot-motif dishes to taking a shower solo. It all sounds very promising to Willa, until she asks, "Will I have to tidy my own toys?" and Willoughby responds with authentic older-brother bluntness, "You'll be too big for toys." Gliori depicts Willa's dawning understanding with a painting of her staring out the window into a monochromatic landscape as she contemplates being "in the world all by myself." Fortunately, Willoughby quickly devises a cure: the final scene, literally from a bird's-eye view, shows brother and sister secure in their mother's embrace under an expansive patchwork quilt. A moving tribute to the sibling ties that bind. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152025642
• ISBN-13: 978-0152025649
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,218,253 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Telll Me What Its Like to Be Big, October 19, 2001

By 

Kim Moore (Hamilton, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tell Me What It's Like to Be Big (Hardcover)

Remember what it was like to be little and wanting to be big! A time when everything would be better if only you were bigger. This heartwarming story is about a bunny named Willa who is very curious about growing up. She gets up very early one morning by herself and realizes she is too little to get breakfast on her own. Willa decides to wake up her brother, Willoughby, who agrees to help her. As he helps her with breakfast, she starts to question him about what it's like to be big. Willoughby patiently answers Willa's questions with older sibling wisdom. The painted illustrations make you feel warm and comfortable. The endpapers remind you of a cozy quilt. All of which remind you of home. Children K-3 will love this story for it's illustrations and the wonderment of what it's like to be older. Adults will love reading it for the nostalgic memories of wanting to be big and knowing what it's like when you finally get there.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Utterly charming look at growing up, July 9, 2002

By 

Catherine S. Vodrey (East Liverpool, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tell Me What It's Like to Be Big (Hardcover)

Poor Willa. She's too little to reach the table by herself, too little to get her clothes on by herself, too little for practically any activity that makes life fun. She goes to her older brother Willoughby and begins to quiz him on how it is to be grown up. Willoughby sets her straight with gentle humor and some straight talk.

Throw into the mix the fact that Willa and Willoughby are utterly charming rabbits drawn by illustrator Debi Gliori and you get the idea of this lovely book. Author Joyce Dunbar has done a good job of showing that growing up isn't all it's made out to be, while simultaneously holding out for the idea that there's a lot of good stuff involved. ... A perfectly charming book with sweet illustrations.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very sweet, May 25, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tell Me What It's Like to Be Big (Hardcover)

This is a story of a brother and sister bunny Willa and Willoughby. Willa is tired of being small and ask her big brother what it's like to be big. He tells her of all the great things she will be able to do like take a bath and brush her teeth by herself and lots more. As Willa thinks about all the like big rabbits do she starts to think maybe she doesn't want to grow up.

I liked the way that the big brother rabbit made time for his little sister. I would like to see more books feature positive sibling relationships like this one does.
The story line is very sweet and will appeal to readers and listeners of all ages.