• Age: 3 to 7
• Grade: p to 2
• Reading age: 3 to 7

Mimi is so little, “I might as well be called Mini,” she says. Everyone is taller than her, even the family dog! She can barely reach the bottom of the blackboard at school and isn't tall enough to see all the pretty cakes in the display case at the bakery. Though her friends try to tell her there are lots of advantages to being her size --- like fitting into the best hiding places and easily scooting to the front of the cafeteria line --- to Mimi, being small is the worst. But then one day, she hears that there's a surprise waiting for her at home. A very little surprise. And Mimi is about to discover a little something about being little.

In her authorial debut, award-winning illustrator Qin Leng has crafted a delightful picture book with a fresh twist on the themes of self-acceptance, growing up, and the arrival of a new sibling. Youngest siblings and small children everywhere will find a kindred spirit in Mimi and will appreciate her change in perspective when --- for the first time --- she sees herself through the eyes of someone smaller than her. Qin Leng's simple but poignant illustrations use gentle humor to highlight how Mimi fits in her world. This is a terrific book for sparking conversations about personal development and self-esteem. It also aligns with character education lessons on self-respect and resilience.

Qin Leng was born in Shanghai, China. At the age of five, she moved with her family to Bordeaux, France, where she spent the next four years. Soon after, she moved to Montreal, where she spent the rest of her childhood. Having been born in Asia but raised in the West, she uses both cultures as her source of inspiration. Looking at her illustrations, one can see the presence of both East and West.Qin Leng comes from a family of artists, where the visual senses have always been of the utmost importance. She grew up watching her father work with acrylics, pastel, and ink. Father and daughter often spent their days drawing side by side. Drawing first started as a hobby, but soon became a way of expression.Despite her many years of study to become a biologist, Qin decided at the age of 20 to follow the same path as her father and enrolled in the School of Cinema to study Film Animation at Concordia University. She has produced animated shorts, which were nominated in various nationa

Qin Leng's profile page

• Short-listed, Jean Throop Book Award, IODE Ontario
• Winner, Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre
• Best Canadian YA and Children's Literature List, CBC Books

... a fun tale for soon-to-be siblings getting ready to become the big ones in the house.

CM Magazine

A sweet demonstration that a change in perspective can work wonders.

Kirkus Reviews

... well written and inventive!

Resource Links

A comforting read for any young child in a large and growing family ...

School Library Journal, starred review