Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life($19.99Value)

Description

Young Hewitt Anderson is sweet, smart, polite—and very, very small. This warmly humorous tale is “proof that, when it comes to heart, physical size isn’t the whole story” ( Kirkus Reviews ). Featuring illustrations by Kadir Nelson, winner of the Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement! Descended from a long line of giants, the J. Carver Worthington Andersons take their height very seriously indeed. You see, without exception all of the many J. Carver Worthington Andersons have been giants until now. And poor Hewitt—hidden in the floorboards, trapped in the flour vat, lost in the bedsheets—has his struggles being tiny. Oh, his parents worry: How will their son manage to live in a world of big things? Leave it to Hewitt to prove the power of being small. Inspired by the tale of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” the inimitable Jerdine Nolen tells an original story of bravery and the power of the individual. Kadir Nelson’s imaginative and loving illustrations create a world where smallness rules—a world that children will want to return to again and again. Kindergarten-Grade 3–Hewitt Anderson is a normal-sized boy born into a family of giants who firmly believe that bigger is better. At the age of seven, their son is so tiny that his anxious parents consult doctors and specialists from all over the world. When none of them can explain "the circumstances surrounding Hewitt's small and unimposing stature," the loving parents formulate some lessons in survival for the boy. However, it is the little guy himself who ends up helping them survive the lessons. They are constantly amazed at Hewitt's resourcefulness and talents and finally realize that rather than worrying so much about his size, they should recognize that he is perfect just the way he is–something that the youngster already knows. Nelson's funny, larger-than-life oil paintings warmly depict this African-American family and give readers a real sense of gigantic proportions. They are visions of contrasts in size. On one page Hewitt stands on the mantle looking at family photographs. He is half the size of the smallest frame. In other pictures, he is curled up fast asleep in the center of his father's hand, or riding on the brim of his mother's bonnet. Told in colorful language that begs to be read aloud, this humorous, oversize book offers a gentle look at accepting others as they are.– Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Jerdine Nolen is the beloved author of many award-winning books, including Big Jabe ; Thunder Rose , a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book; and Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life , a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, all illustrated by Kadir Nelson. She is also the author of Eliza’s Freedom Road , illustrated by Shadra Strickland, which was an ALA/YALSA Best Fiction Nominee for Young Adults; Raising Dragons , illustrated by Elise Primavera, which received the Christopher Award; and Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm , illustrated by Mark Buehner, which was made into a movie by the same name. Her other books include Calico Girl , a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year, and Irene’s Wish , illustrated by A.G. Ford, which Kirkus Reviews called “delightful and memorable” in a starred review. Ms. Nolen is an educator and lives in Ellicott City, Maryland. Kadir Nelson has been honored with the Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, acknowledging his significant and lasting contribution to children’s literature. He is an award-winning American artist whose works have been exhibited in major national and international publications, institutions, art galleries, and museums. Nelson’s work has won the Coretta Scott King Award, the Robert F. Sibert Award, two Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Awards, and the 2005 Society of Illustrators Gold Medal. His beloved, award-winning, and bestselling picture books include We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball ; Thunder Rose , written by Jerdine Nolen; Ellington Was Not a Street , written by Ntozake Shange; Salt in His Shoes , written by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan; and many more. Kadir lives in Los Angeles.