Let's hear it for Mr Big!
Mr Big by Ed Vere
(Puffin Books, 2008)
Good to Read for:
teaching kids to look beyond appearance
developing your child’s empathy
learning that friends come in all shapes and sizes
I’m a big fan of Ed Vere’s work – and I’m rather partial to jazz. So this week’s story worth sharing – Mr Big (Puffin Books, 2008) – really hits the spot!
It’s not just me that thinks so – back in 2009, Booktrust gave away 750,000 copies of Mr Big to reception-aged children in the UK. A snappy story with bright, kid-friendly illustrations that draw young readers in. (Mr Big was also presented as a series of concerts, ‘Mr Big plays Jazz’ – a mix of live drawing, storytelling and live jazz. I’d love to have seen one of them!)
The story begins on the title page – a zoot-suited monkey holding a trumpet introduces Mr Big with appealing speech bubbles:
Let me tell you about a friend of mine, he goes by the name of Big… Mr Big.
Now, Mr Big had a small problem. Compared to everyone else, he was extremely…
…big!
“Inside, he’s very nice, but nobody sees that,” says Vere. They can’t see beyond his overall appearance and feel intimidated by his presence.
[A]ll everyone saw was someone big and scary.
No one stuck around to find out who he really was. So inside, Mr Big felt very, very small.
‘With his trademark bold colour and masterful graphic simplicity, Vere sensitively and humorously tackles the universal and current subject of inclusion,’ reads the publisher’s blurb, ‘reminding the reader that to get to know someone, you need to look beyond their exterior.’
And what an impressive exterior Mr Big has! With bright, wide eyes and immaculately dressed in a sharp suit, bow tie and fedora hat, he towers over the other animals. Vere’s clever compositions further enhance Mr Big’s massive proportions, which are squashed into the page – almost as if the book struggles to contain him.
Poor old Mr Big. Despite his colossal size, he looks so sad and somewhat vulnerable. Cafes and buses – even swimming pools – become empty whenever he appears.
[L] et’s just say, everyone needed to be…
…somewhere else.
Vere’s wide-eyed supporting cast of wide-eyed (notably smaller) characters look fantastic – and suitably anxious. (Aside from the pig, squashed against the bus window by Mr Big, who looks irritated.) Thanks to Vere’s characterisation, the drawings add some gentle humour to what is a sad story. (I especially love the frog fleeing the swimming pool.)
Now here’s the inciting incident that pivots the whole story. It’s a moment that’s illustrated in muted tones that enhance the narrative:
One day, Mr Big noticed a piano in a shop window.
It looked all alone.
Just like him.
Mr Big buys the piano and carries it home – and up the stairs – on his big, strong back.
His home is bright and colourful– but inside, he is sad. So what does he do?
As Mr Big sat alone at the piano, he thought of all the things that made him sad.
And then he played.
The music – an outpouring of a creative soul, represented by musical notes – drifts through the apartment window and off into the evening sky. Much to the delight of his neighbours, who wondered ‘who was playing such beautiful music?’
I love the next spread. Vere pulls right back to give us a bird’s eye view of the neighbourhood.
The word spread, and night after night everyone came from all over town.
On a street corner is a movie theatre showing King Kong. It’s a nice touch for parents (and gives added reason for the citizens to be fearful of Mr Big). Apartment windows are lit up in orange and red, silhouetting the inhabitants. Eagle-eyed readers will spot Mr Big (also silhouetted, except for his big eyes and green hat band) high up in his lonely apartment, at his piano. On the street below, a crowd gathers to enjoy the music.
And still no one knew who was playing.
It was a big mystery.
But inside, Mr Big was still alone.
And then, one morning, Mr Big received his first ever letter.
Addressed to the Mystery Pianist, it thanks him for the beautiful music and invites him to join ‘a couple of the guys’ at the Blue Note. Please come and join our band!
The following spread is such a turnaround and a joyful image! Mr Big accepts the invitation and takes to the stage:
All night long the joint was jumping and nobody wanted to leave!
At last, everyone could see the real Mr Big.
Now it’s Mr Big’s chance to shine!
Colourful speech bubbles pepper the page with hip jazz phrases (for example, Groovy man! And Yeah Baby Jazz!) that I remember my youngest loved. Indeed, the whole jazzy vibe gives the book a powerful identity. And guess what? Mr Big gives the band the boost they need to hit the big time. Now ‘everyone wants to meet them, [and] Mr Big has a new problem.’
He doesn’t get much time to be alone…
and that’s just the way he likes it!
I love a happy ending –and it doesn’t get much better than this. After all those achingly sad images of Mr Big, it’s an absolute pleasure to see him looking so happy, enjoying the company – and the big time. The final page shows him driving off in a pink Cadillac with his band mates, pursued by autograph hunters shouting, “Thank you, Mr Big! We love you!”
Mr Big is so well-designed. Vere’s illustrations – peppered with kid-friendly speech bubbles – complement his pared-down text. The typography is also clever - text size varies to emphasise different words, which helps both children and adults intonate the story as they read it aloud. (For example, ‘big’ and ‘scary’ are in larger type size, whereas the word ‘small’ is in, well, a very small size.)
Vere’s core message – that being big (or in some way different) is not scary – is delivered with a light touch, notes The Book Bag: ‘The person who looks different has the same feelings as everyone else. Inside we are all the same.’ It’s an important lesson for kids to learn and a theme covered in a few of my own books (including DANGEROUS! and Boris Starts School). Meaning Mr Big – as with many of my recommendations – is a great way to teach your child empathy.
What is empathy? ‘The ability to understand and experience the feelings of others, and to respond in helpful ways.’
I like to think of empathy as a muscle. The more it’s used, the stronger it becomes – leading to greater respect for oneself and others. What results from sharing quality picture books like Mr Big with your child? Emotionally and mentally healthy children. How lovely that we get to have fun along the way.
Tips for sharing Mr Big
Enhance the jazzy atmosphere by reading it with some piano-based jazz playing in the background. (Oscar Peterson’s Stormy Weather or Summertime are good places to start!)
Use the book to spark conversation with your child: What makes them – or their best friend – unique?
Everyone can feel left out at times. Teachers: Use Mr Big during circle time to discuss how that feels and how kids can be more inclusive.
STORIES WORTH SHARING
Mr Big by Ed Vere
(Puffin Books, 2008)
Good to Read for:
teaching kids to look beyond appearance
developing your child’s empathy
learning that friends come in all shapes and sizes
Copyright © 2008 Ed Vere (Text & Illustrations)
From MR BIG by Ed Vere
GOOD TO READ
Learning that friends come in all shapes and sizes
Only You Can Be You! by Sally and Nathan Clarkson & Tim Warnes
How To Be a Lion by Ed Vere
Mabel and Me: Best of Friends by Mark Sperring and Sarah Warburton
DANGEROUS! by Tim Warnes
Boris Starts School by Carrie Weston and Tim Warnes
BUY THE BOOK
Powered by Bookshop.org
Supporting independent bookshops
“The ‘go-to’ book during storytime.”
– Beffy Parkin, GoodReads
“Perfect – a delight to read aloud.”
The BookBag
Currently unavailable on US Bookshop.org
* I EARN COMMISSION FROM THESE LINKS #AD/AFF
RELATED ARTICLES
SOURCES
The start of the new school year seems an appropriate time to share a favourite bear of mine - the big-hearted Boris in his debut, Boris Starts School, written by Carrie Weston. ‘With gorgeous illustrations that bring the characters to life, this book is perfect for reading out loud.’ [Booktrust] Selected by The Reading Agency for the Summer Reading Challenge 2021.