To What Extent

Sometimes before you open a book, it is like looking at a gift-wrapped present.  You know who the giver is, but you have no idea what is inside.  You speculate as to the contents aloud and in your mind, knowing the truth will not be revealed until the paper is removed and the box is opened.

This is exactly how it was with Big And Small And In-Between (Chronicle Books, April 12, 2022).  I knew of the considerable work of the creators Carter Higgins and Daniel Miyares.  They are both authors and illustrators.  In this collaboration, Carter Higgins is author and Daniel Miyares is illustrator.  Having previously not read any reviews or revelatory chatter, after pausing at the opening and closing endpapers and the image before the verso and title pages, with a growing smile I turned to the first page.  I gasped.

BiG

things

Those two words are only read after unfolding a cleverly made box topped with a bow and tag with the number one on it.  With a page turn we discover twelve big things tangible, felt, and imagined.  We realize the warmth of the sun and its power to begin a day, the feeling before jumping into a huge mound of autumn leaves, the courage of doing something for the first time, and how a day at the beach is big in more than one way.

A square becomes a rectangle with a dachshund to welcome us into the in-between portion of this narrative. Here thirteen thoughts disclose highly anticipatory instances.  We recall (or wish we could recall) being on a teeter-totter when it is neither up or down but balanced in the center or the line when a boat is above water but also reflected in the water under it.  How about the caterpillar that is no longer an egg, but is about to flutter wings as a butterfly? How about the moment just before you bite into a s'more when the marshmallow is the right kind of soft and the chocolate is melting to perfection?  

A partial stem and partial leaf of a dandelion about ready for wishes holds the number 3.  A teeny, tiny door opens with a single dandelion seed on it for our exploration of small things.  If you listen you might hear the sound of a single raindrop falling in a puddle, a puddle providing water for a butterfly to quench its thirst.  If you look carefully, you can see snails beneath the cover of leaves and grass. It is a small creature inside a small shell leaving an almost invisible trail.  The final small thing of twelve takes us back to the ocean.  We are there just as a hole is formed, a castle is built, and we stand gazing at the expanse of water.  What does this tell us about big, in-between, and small things?

Surprisingly, there is a number four. Here we read and see the majesty of big, small, and in-between working together.  We pause and ponder at what we have read and seen in each portion of this book.  It is a proclamation from and of the heart.  

When you read the words written by Carter Higgins, you are drawn into each moment with her sensory descriptions.  Her lyrical phrases are like a lullaby, but also an awakening.  She is asking us to realize and participate in each of the big, small, and in-between happenings.  She takes the everyday and shows us how it is exceptional.  Here is a passage from each portion.  Can you guess which one is for big, small, and in-between?

a handful of NICKELS

that fell out of a pocket

and got smushed in the sofa

the SUN right before it slips away

when it is going

                     going

                              gone

how QUIET it gets

when it's your turn onstage

and you're not sure

about your talent

The images by artist Daniel Miyares we first see on the book case give us an idea of the wealth we are to find within the pages.  On the front, right side of the open case, is a balance of elements big and small and in-between.  They depict a collection of possibilities.  

To the left of the wide and bright yellow spine, on the back, is an oval-shaped illustration.  It shows three of the children showcased in the book riding down a street on their bicycles.  It is autumn.  The sky is replete with the colors of a setting sun. They are riding toward it.  Some autumn leaves break the frame to draw our eyes toward the text.  This text invites us to be travelers in the big, small, and the in-between.

On the opening endpapers in warmer hues of sunrise and sunset, as a background wash, we see items one might have from being in the portrayed occasions.  To name a few, there are odd checkers, jacks, a playing card, an acorn, a bottle cap, a wishbone, crayons, seashells, and leaves.  On the closing endpapers, in cooler shades, more often found at dusk, we are shown a pocket watch, a jump rope, an origami crane, a pencil, pinecone and a baseball.  These are some of the featured items.

When you turn the page, after the opening endpapers, we see a seated dog, with a tail extending over the gutter to the left, a wagging tail.  We cannot see the entire face of the canine, but it is happy.  A tennis ball rests between its paws.  A tag hanging from its collar reads:

This book belongs to

These pictures

rendered in graphite, gouache, and digital collage

are intricately detailed, textured, and expressive.  They alternate in size from full-page images with wide white frames, to full-page pictures, edge to edge, double-page visuals, and small images together.  There is a vertical delicious double-page picture, and a dramatic gatefold at the conclusion.  

The same characters and their pet companions reappear throughout the book.  Sometimes one image ties to the next one.  Some of the perspectives and use of light and shadow will have you marveling at the skill of Daniel Miyares.  One word (okay, two) comes to mind when you look at each illustration, alive and splendid.

One of my many favorite illustrations is for one of the above-noted quoted passages.  It is a four square picture with wide frames on a single page.  In the first scene, a child is reading a book in a swing on their porch as the sun sets.  Their dog is standing and watching them holding its tennis ball in its mouth.  Hopeful. In the next scene, it is barely light enough outside to read, but the child keeps reading. His socks and shoes are off and on the porch. They are lying down more than sitting up.  The tennis ball is next to the dog, now resting.  In the third image, the child is reading under a blanket with a flashlight, still in the porch swing.  The dog is curled and sleeping.  In the final illustration, an adult is carrying the child inside as the dog follows.  In the final two pictures stars fashion pinpoints of light in the sky.

This book, Big And Small And In-Between written by Carter Higgins with artwork by Daniel Miyares, is a total sensory experience.  You savor every example, thinking about if it is one you've shared, and if it is not, what you have done that might be similar, or completely different.  You cannot stop thinking about this book, about how others will respond to it, and the wonderful conversations and activities it will promote.  I highly recommend you place at least one copy or two in your professional collections and one in your personal collections.

To learn more about Carter Higgins and Daniel Miyares and their other work, please access their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Carter Higgins has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Her blog is linked here.  Daniel Miyares has accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  At the publisher's website, you can view interior images.  On Saturday, April 23, 2022, there is an Instagram takeover hosted by Weller Book Works highlighting this book with Carter Higgins and Daniel Miyares.