ARE YOU SMALL?

Willems once again veers into the realm of informational books for the very young.

In the wake of his Elephant/Piggie/Pigeon days, the author/illustrator has undeniably found firm footing in the realm of preschool nonfiction. Following up the success of Are You Big? (2024), Willems trades in his telescope for a microscope. A stick figure–like child with a smiling, purple face is asked, “Are you small?” The answer is much more complex than you might think. After all, “this book is small. (But it has BIG ideas in it.)” And “a hamster is small. (But it can be a big friend.)" Even smaller than a hamster, a baby tooth is “a BIG deal when it comes out.” On and on it goes until the book literally gets to quarks (cleverly hidden in the corners of the page), ultimately acknowledging that maybe there’s an undiscovered something even smaller than that. This unexpected dive into science, with dancing water molecules and caped electrons, isn’t the usual fare for preschoolers, but thanks to its kid-friendly art and tone, it nevertheless makes quantum physics comprehensible to even the youngest set. Willems once more displays a keen eye and ear for what makes a book fascinating to little readers. Backmatter clarifies scale.

This exploration of all things teeny-tiny will have kids riveted and learning far more than they’d ever expect.