Mimi is an adorable little character that readers will fall in love with. She says she might as well be called mini because she is so tiny which makes the world around her a challenge. All her family members tower over her... even her dog Gus. Oh my!!!

She mentally runs though a list of cons regarding her minute stature: all my friends are taller than me, crowded sidewalks are scary because nobody notices me, my feet barely reach the edge of the seat on the bus which is dangerous, and at Pete's butcher shop, the sausage links are longer than me... just to cite a few. Her good friend Remy encourages her about the advantages of her size saying: you always get to be first in the cafeteria line, you always win at hide-and-seek because you can tuck away in secret places and you always get to sit in the front row for class pictures. See? Being small does have lots of advantages.

Mimi is frustrated because she wants to be like all the other kids her age and do all the things that they can do. Upon deeper reflection and all the positive encouraging things that people around her have been saying she thinks maybe she isn't that bad off after all.

One day her dad comes to pick her up from school and tells her there is a surprise waiting for her at home.

"There's a surprise at home," he tells me.
A surprise? I love surprises!
What could it be?"

Her imagination ignites as she explores many possibilities of what might be waiting for her. She never in all her wildest dreams expects that ever-so-special surprise to be so extraordinary and even life-changing for her.

This is award-winning illustrator Qin Leng's authorial debut and "I Am Small" is a winner indeed. The illustrations are full of activity, emotion and heart and they greatly enrich the text. This book touches on themes of self-acceptance, growing up, and the event of when a new sibling arrives into the family. It is a wonderful book that will ignite conversations about self-esteem and personal development. I highly, highly recommend this book.

A very sweet and adorable story about Mimi, a small girl who worries about all the things she can not do because of her small size. She eventually realizes that there are things that she can do only because she is small, so it isn't all bad. This is a beautifully-illustrated story about a child that realizes that there is good and bad in being small. This book would be good for kindergarten age children, especially when they start school and see all the "big" kids doing things they can not do. It would also be a good addition to a family library.

My kids loved this book the illustrations are vibrant and the story is adorable perfect for all ages !

ARC Copy...cute and warm narrative in poetic like verse about the pros-cons of being the "small" one from the POV of a child and their older "bigger" siblings.

This was a very sweet story, well written, and well illustrated. Both my daughter & I enjoyed reading it and it would be a welcome addition to the library of any child who feels a bit like the world is much too large, while they are much too small.

A very sweet and beautifully-illustrated story about a tiny little girl who begins to understand that there's nothing wrong with being small, especially when she meets her even smaller baby brother. Recommended for preschool-ish aged children expecting a little sibling.

This book is so adorable! The illustrations are gorgeous, sort of ink sketches with a watercolor style coloring. The story is adorable, about a little girl named Mimi who is the smallest in her family, in her class, in her neighborhood... She talks about the things she doesn't like about being so small, and her friends and family point out the great advantages to being small. IN the end, Mimi is no longer the smallest person in her life because she has a new baby brother! I do wish this had ended with Mimi embracing her size; instead, it's insinuated that Mimi won't always be so small because she'll grow up, just like her older siblings. In truth, if Mimi is really that much smaller than the other kids in her class, she's likely going to be a shorty for life. I hope she learns to love that she's "mini".

Mimi is over being the smallest person she knows. All she sees are the disadvantages it brings. Lucky for her she has friends to point out some overlooked benefits to being petite and parents who have a big surprise in store for her. This is a wonderful story about accepting and loving who you are. The illustrations are soft and beautiful. Fans of Shel Silverstein's illustrations and style are going to appreciate this.

Great story for kids about accepting themselves as they are. I really liked that Mimi was able to realize some of the benefits to her size and I especially liked the surprise at the end. The illustrations were cute and reminded me of James Stevenson's style.

I loved this story. I loved how it could be geared toward a student who is maybe smaller than everyone in their class or someone who may be coping with a new sibling! Very cute and nice pictures too!

In I Am Small, we meet Mimi, a tiny little girl dissatisfied with her diminutive size. Mimi mournfully shares, "Being small really bugs me. When will I grow big enough to take up as much space in the world as everyone else?"

Even as friends and family share ways she is envied because of her small stature (snaking to the front of the cafeteria line, where she is given the biggest dessert; curling up into forts and tents only she can access, etc.), she fixates on what it keeps her from doing (for instance, she is not able to view all the bakery items in the display case).

When Mimi becomes a big sister, however, her size is put into perspective and she realizes she has grown and she will continue to get bigger.

The illustrations that fill the pages are engaging and convey a lot of emotion. They will draw readers in and, as they playfully demonstrate her tininess, you may find yourself smiling at the comparisons (like how she compares to the fish of the day, and how even the family dog towers over her).

Mimi is a very small girl. In fact, she is so small, she might as well be called Mini!

Everyone seems taller and larger than her, and she can;t wait to grow up. But, slowly and surely, she realizes that there is an upside to being small. Maybe it's not so bad after all!

I AM Small is Mimi's journey on accepting herself and seeing the bright side of things. This is a short, charming story about accepting yourself. Accompanied by wonderful illustrations, I Am Small is a marvelous little book to read with your children!

Mimi is very small. She's the smallest in her family -- smaller even than the dog! Mimi sees a lot of problems with being so small, including not being able to see all of the cupcakes so that she can choose the best one. As far as she's concerned, being small is very frustrating. Others point out some of the good things about being small, and Mimi eventually realizes that it's not all bad.

I Am Small is a cute little book with lovely little illustrations that kids and adults alike will adore. I know a few kids who would really appreciate this book to show them that they're not the only ones frustrated by being so little.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing me with a free electronic ARC of this book.

A lovely book!

The watercolours are beautiful, I loved the drawings, sweet and mischievous (reminding me of the French illustrator and humorist Sempé, whom I love), and I appreciated how the little girl wasn't especially girly, dressed indifferently and having various occupations.

The text, if short, is striking, wise and funny. Mimi is discouraged to be so tiny, and if the story is about her size, the general idea is also that small children should have a place in the world, a voice:
"Being small really bugs me. When will I grow enough to take up as much place in the world as anyone else?"

Exactly the kind of book I liked to buy for my children - and still like buying for me!

This is a cute story about a little girl who is upset that she is so small. I like how she realizes that there are many benefits to being small (like having the best hiding spots) and how at the end she learns that she has a baby brother and she is the big sister. The illustrations are done very well and children will enjoy them along with the story!

After three fine books from this publisher in a row I find this a bit of a let-down. The story is hidden by a pair of lists – reasons why the heroine dislikes being small, then her friends' verdict on how lack of size is beneficial. It then takes a major turn, which the adult sharing this with their young will see coming, and beyond a Latin name joke (of course!) it still seems to fall flat. At heart it's a basic biology/fact-of-life lesson, but I think there was scope for more. Very decent design and artwork, and a well-handled brevity to the script, though.