Bob the chimp finds that his jungle friends are happy to help him feel tall, but he also learns that small is still the perfect size for being safe in Mommy's arms. This fun story is now in a board-book format. Full color.

Reviews

Favorite characters return for the picture-book crowd as well. With just five words and a band of his always-merry animal creations, Jez Alborough weaves a sweet tale about the monkey from Hug, determined to make it to the top-and teaching youngsters about relative heights at the same time-in Tall. While the premise is simplicity itself, it's expertly paced. An oversize, huggable board book edition of Hug is also available now. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

PreS-Bobo, the chimp who searched for his very own embrace in the tender Hug (Candlewick, 2000), is back with a new quest in mind. He makes his way through the jungle, feeling rather small until he climbs on a rock and is convinced that he is now "tall." Unfortunately, many creatures still tower over him, even as he is lifted onto the head of a baby lion, a baby elephant, and even a giraffe before taking a dramatic tumble and being saved by his mother's nick-of-time catch. By the end, a slightly wiser Bobo is satisfied being small, while held tight in Mom's protective arms. In spite of the spare text (there are five words in all), Bobo embodies an impressive range of identifiable emotions. Alborough's adept pen-and-gouache illustrations make each feeling and point of view crystal clear through everything from slumped shoulders to delighted outstretched arms. Even the chimp's brief moments of woe are less self-pitying than simply glum. A must-have title for any children who have ever felt less than enchanted with their diminutive status.-Elizabeth Bird, New York Public Library Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.