  | Big enough Author: Linke, Regina | |
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
Tasked with bringing home his grandfather's ox, a young boy overcomes his fear and trusts his intuition to bring home the gigantic animal.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (02/15/25)
Booklist (03/01/25)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/03/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 04/07/2025 Poised as an origin story based on Linke’s fable for adults, The Oxherd Boy, this quiet meditation traces the simple narrative of a child overcoming doubt. A folkloric cadence kicks things off: "There once was a boy named Ah-Fu, who was so small he often got lost, especially in his own imagination." In an apparent daydream, the East Asian-cued child captains a tiny sailboat aided by an insect crew, until his grandfather interrupts with a request to bring the ox home from a field. Worried he’s too small to wrangle the big animal, and receiving repeated and accumulating warnings about how to handle the task ("Don’t try to lead him by the horns," suggest a flock of swallows, "you’re not big enough"), Ah-Fu travels into the hills. But when he meets the big, soft-furred ox-even more reticent than Ah-Fu-the boy finds courage to navigate in his own way. Digitally rendered illustrations employ traditional Chinese gongbi and xieyi techniques to render a lushly serene pastoral setting. It’s an organically empowering story of self-determination that exudes a gentle playfulness. Ages 4-8. (Apr.) - Copyright 2025
Booklist - 03/01/2025 Big Enough tells the story of a boy named Ah-Fu, who is tasked with bringing the family’s ox home from the field. Along the way, he meets various animals who warn him about what not to do when bringing an ox home. These encounters frighten him into believing that he is not big enough to lead the ox, and the scale of Linke's illustrations lean into Ah-Fu's imagination, showing readers just how big he fears the ox might really be. Feeling small and scared, Ah-Fu must find a way to overcome his fears in order to bring the ox—and himself—safely home. Linke (creator of the 2024 webcomic The Oxherd Boy), inspired by Chinese philosophy, shows kids of any size how to trust themselves in the face of adversity, her visual storytelling combining realistic depictions of characters with muted color palettes that exude a sense of serenity. An empowering story about compassion for others and believing in yourself. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.
