BIG ENOUGH

A Chinese boy “so small he often [gets] lost” must bring his family’s ox home from the fields on his own.

Ah-Fu sets off with Grandfather’s parting advice echoing in his mind: “Just don’t try to ride him…You’re not big enough to hold on yet.” The warnings compound as Ah-Fu encounters a flock of swallows and a frog with conflicting advice of their own: “Don’t try to lead him by the horns.” “Don’t try to herd him from behind.” Like Grandfather, the animals tell the boy he isn’t big enough to handle a stubborn, temperamental ox. When Ah-Fu finally comes face to face with the enormous ox, he is overwhelmed and flees in terror. As night falls, though, the timid ox finds Ah-Fu and asks for his help getting home. Soon, Ah-Fu realizes that he’s big enough to break the rules set by others to find his own way forward. The illustrations, painted digitally using traditional Chinese techniques, are by turns realistic and minimalist, then fantastical and lush, capturing an agrarian countryside filtered through the unbridled imagination of youth. This tale of quiet persistence, enhanced by the ox’s impressively expressive eyebrows, will strike a chord with young readers looking for their own burst of courage.

A gentle adventure for big dreamers in small bodies.