I was unable to download and read this book before it expired, so I'm unable to give an honest review of it.

This was such a sweet little story. The illustrations were precious and it was such a long message for little ones. I love stories like this that feel like a warm hug.

This was a really lovely story about a little girl – always the smallest wherever she goes – who longs to be big.
"Being small really bugs me. When will I grow enough to take up as much place in the world as anyone else?"
But Mimi discovers there is joy to be found in everything including being small.
The illustrations are gorgeous, the character loveable and the ending is very satisfying.
The kind of story I love to read with my children with a beautiful sentiment.

This was a very sweet story about finding your place in the world. My daughter enjoyed the illustrations, and I just thought it was just the most endearing story.

This was such a charming and relatable book! Being a fellow shorty I can feel Mimi's frustration. While there are plenty of things that are more difficult for Mimi, her friends help her realize that being small isn’t so bad. There are still many things Mimi can do that her friends can’t. It's a great story about how our difference make us special.

This was an endearing and sweet story with sweet illustrations. I like seeing stories about kids who are finding their place in the world.

Cute! perfect for younger readers especially ones who feel as though they are too small to do things! also great for children soon to be a big brother or sister! I really found this book to be very nice for young and small children who know what the main character feels as they too may feel as though they are too small.

For the smallest child in their class! (We've had a few of these in my family over the years!) It's hard to be the smallest (still is) everything is out of reach, you learn to live with ladders and tall people(to reach things for you! But there is an upside to everything, and this book enumerates them. The ending is really cute, too! I loved the illustrations,

Mimi is very small for her age. It's very hard on her because she can't do a lot of things that her friends can do. Even when they remind her of all of her advantages --like having a lot of secret places, winning at hide-and-seek, or always being in the front of the school group portrait--, she still feels frustrated. She manages to see some positive pros, but really, her friends don't get it. Until the day when a surprise awaits her at home that will completely change her point of view.

It is a great book for kids who feel frustrated, angry or jealous of others because of their sizes. The book talks about all the pros and cons of being small from the kid's perspective, and emphasizes a lot on her feelings. The happy ending is a pleasant and very nice twist. A great narration translated from French, and lovely watercolor illustrations.

This was a great kids book!! My youngest loved it cause he is the smallest!! Definitely recommend this book for children of a young age or the youngest in the family!

I Am Small by Qin Leng
Publisher: Kids Can Press
ISBN: 9781525301155

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Kids Can Press for the ebook ARC of I Am Small by Qin Leng in exchange for an honest review.

Mimi is so little, “I might as well be called Mini.” she says. Everyone is taller than her, even the family dog! She can barely reach the blackboard at school and isn’t tall enough to sell all the pretty cakes in the display case at the bakery.
Though her friends try and telll her that there is lots of advantage to her size - - like fitting into the best hiding places, and easily scooting to the front of the cafeteria line - - to Mimi, being small is the worst. But then one day there’s a surprise waiting for her at home. A very little surprise. And Mimi is about to discover something about being little.

I give this book a rating of 4 stars. I read it to my 4 year old daughter. She really enjoyed the book.
The watercolour illustrations are really nice. The only thing was at first I thought Mimi was a boy. I thought that the story was simple and delightful!

Qin Leng, writes I am Small. A picture book about a little girl who is short in height and does not find it to be very beneficial. This is an incredible story about perspectives. Within the book you find the perspective of Mimi, her friends at school, and then through the eyes of her mom when she presents a special surprise. I love how this book can be relatable to a lot of kids who wish to be a little bit taller or unable to wait until they are older.

From the publisher: Mimi is so little, “I might as well be called Mini,” she says. Everyone is taller than her, even the family dog! She can barely reach the bottom of the blackboard at school and isn't tall enough to see all the pretty cakes in the display case at the bakery. Though her friends try to tell her there are lots of advantages to being her size --- like fitting into the best hiding places and easily scooting to the front of the cafeteria line --- to Mimi, being small is the worst. But then one day, she hears that there's a surprise waiting for her at home. A very little surprise. And Mimi is about to discover a little something about being little.

In her authorial debut, award-winning illustrator Qin Leng has crafted a delightful picture book with a fresh twist on the themes of self-acceptance, growing up, and the arrival of a new sibling. Youngest siblings and small children everywhere will find a kindred spirit in Mimi and will appreciate her change in perspective when --- for the first time --- she sees herself through the eyes of someone smaller than her. Qin Leng's simple but poignant illustrations use gentle humor to highlight how Mimi fits in her world. This is a terrific book for sparking conversations about personal development and self-esteem. It also aligns with character education lessons on self-respect and resilience.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Kids Can Press for providing me with an Advanced Digital Copy in exchange for my honest review. I read this book as a part of my #BookaDay Reading Challenge, inspired by Donalyn Miller. My goal is to read at least one children's literature book every weekday and share my thoughts here on my blog.

Two pages into the children's picture book and you lay your eyes on a most frightening image: The kid (Mimi) is walking alone in a crowded street (from or towards school). Page 15, Mimi is in 'Olivia's Bakery' all alone (buying a cake), then Pete's butcher shop (buying sausage links) and on it goes - I have no idea why Leng has stressed so much on a child's height (no age is given for the kid, but I am assuming he is 5-6 years old), if the purpose of the book is to make a child spatially aware or think more about how long will it be before they 'grow up' and see things that adults can and do - I don't know - but it all looks and feels very reckless, dangerous and wrong and immature. More work and serious thought should have gone into the basic concept and common sense.

Also, the ease and casualness of reference by Mimi on 'Olivia's' bakery, 'Pete's' butcher shop, 'Jack's' fish market, etc. shows familiarity with shop owners and may have been written to show that Mimi knows these people on a first-name basis - to me, it came across as extremely dangerous and wrong that a child is this comfortable to be on his own with strangers.

No child should be left alone to roam the streets or shops unattended, unchaperoned.

And by the end, you find out that Mimi is actually a girl. And her parents just had a baby ('Meet Max your little brother') -probably the reason Mimi is alone for the entirety of the book.

I Am Small is a book about wanting to be something that you're not; after spending many more years in the world than Mimi has, I know that feeling is a universal one. Mimi is very small, but she wants to be big. She asks, "When will I grow big enough to take up as much space in the world as everyone else?" But although all Mimi can think about is how much better things would be if she were bigger, her friends and brother have all noticed how lucky she is that she is so small. She can do things they can't! What will it take for Mimi to realize that, too? This is a good book for the kid in your life who hasn't realized why being small is good yet.

I Am Small was a very well written book on what it is like to want something you can't have. Mimi wants to be big but her friends and family remind her that being small is not always the worst size to be. Mimi soon learns that she may not always be the smallest and then how will she feel?
This is a great book for children that want to be something they are not. This book would always to a great read for a family welcoming a new baby.
The illustrations are sweet and detailed. Qin Leng does a fantastic job at portraying how small Mimi is compared to his big world.

So many books that prepare children for the arrival of a baby focus on the baby. Mistake. Children still want to know that they are the centre of their world. With beautiful illustrations 'I Am Small" tells Mimi's story. A story of how she wishes she were bigger. Her lovely friends help her see that being small has its advantages. Then a new baby features at the end to show Mimi how big she really is and to give her a chance to be wise and reassure the baby that "one day you'll be big too."

This one is actually a book to welcome a new baby! But it's so lovely, and it's subtle enough that it can be read anytime your kids need a little reminder that it's ok to be small (or different).

Mimi is struggling with the fact that she's so small. She feels like she's always left out, always "too little" to the fun stuff. Even when her friends try to point out that being small can actually be great - first in line at the cafeteria, the BEST at hide and seek...she's still mad. Nobody gets what it's like to be small!! But then she gets to thinking again. Hmm...maybe being small IS kind of cool. She's small enough to turn her dog into a horse. Small enough to snuggle between her parents. She's just starting to come around when her dad tells her there's a surprise waiting at home...can you guess? You got it! Mimi's new little brother! Mimi's pretty pumped. And excited not only because she's not the smallest - but because she can pass on how cool it is to be small to someone else!

It's a really lovely lesson - the importance of finding your strengths even in things you (or others) consider flaws. And then passing it down and teaching others to do the same!

You may be familiar with Qin (pronounced chin) Leng’s illustrative prowess. She has illustrated a number of gorgeous books written by some pretty amazing authors, ahem, Dennis Lee. I Am Small is her incredibly beautiful authorial debut picture book about being small.

Drawing from her own personal experience with always being the shortest person growing up, Qin Leng shows us the world through Mimi’s eyes. Mimi is so small, she’s even shorter than the dog, she can’t see the desserts in Olivia’s bakery case, and she bounces all over the place on the school bus. However, being small does have some advantages, like practicing for her Olympic debut in synchronized swimming in the bathtub, being the best at hide and seek, and fitting between mom and dad in bed. One day Mimi comes home to a surprise, now there is someone else who is smaller than her.

I Am Small is so beautiful! The illustrations are dreamy and whimsical and so full of detail. Even the size of the book is small, perfect for little hands. It’s a fantastic book to pull off the shelf, snuggle up, and read. It is a lovely, cozy book that will spark curiosity and discovery in your little reader. If you have any small one’s in your life, I Am Small is the perfect book for them. Also, a great book to give a big brother or sister who was once small and finds themselves suddenly very big.

A delightful story about a young girl who wants nothing more than to be bigger.. Mimi doesn’t realize that there are advantages to being her size, until her parents surprise her with a brand new sibling.
Told in simple script, easy for young ones to understand and follow along. And filled with beautiful illustrations, this book is going to be a favourite at bedtime. Especially perfect for families that are expecting newborns soon.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book and exchange for an honest review. I really appreciate it.

Mimi is tired of being small. She has a long list of woes about it. Her friends and family try to point out some perks of her small size, but Mimi still wishes she were bigger. But when she meets someone smaller than herself and realizes she used to be that size, she feels a little bit better.

I sympathize with Mimi. I remember needing to use my hands along with me feet to make it up the school bus steps when I started kindergarten. And I was almost always the shortest in my class. Of course, now I live in Asia and I’m pretty average size for over here so my smaller size now comes in handy when I want to buy clothes or just easily walk around. (My 6’3” husband has it a little bit more challenging.) All that to say, I can say from experience that it does take a while to get to the place where you are ok with being shorter than most others. I resigned myself to being short-ish as a teen, but I didn’t really appreciate it until I was an adult living overseas. I like that Mimi’s friends try to cheer her up and point out the positives, but as is often the case with human nature, Mimi has to figure out some things by herself. This is a cute story with soft and delicate illustrations that fit the topic. It’s a good read for kids unhappy with their stature, kids with a new sibling on the way, or kids who just like stories of kids with realistic issues.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.