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 companion 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.
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
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Growing up?:
I was disappointed in this story. Even for the 4-8 year olds, I found it shallow and not as fleshed out as it could have been.
Growing-Up Story for All Ages:
"Tell Me What It's Like to Be Big" is a sweet sibling story that has the potential to become a true classic. This story is about young anthopomorphic rabbit named Willa who wants to make her own breakfast and her older brother, Willoughby. When Willa asks for her brother's help, he gets on his slippers and they have breakfast together. Willa talks with her brother about what things will be like when she's older. When Willa doesn't quite like what she hears, Willoughby provides comforting... more info
very sweet:
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... more info
Utterly charming look at growing up:
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... more info
