Little Critter is Tired of Being Little

There are several moments in the wonderful but prematurely cancelled Freaks and Geeks in which pipsqueak Sam faces ridicule and even physical threats by several bullies in his school. Though he manages a couple of small victories, the bigger, meaner kids always seem to be lurking on the edges of his school life, waiting to make trouble, so Sam is rather fed up with being so small. So is Little Critter in Mercer Mayer's Just Big Enough.

In this book, Little Critter explores the frustrations many children feel when it seems the world is too big for them. Like Sam, his crisis is brought on by bullies. They take his seat on the bus, eat all the tasty food at lunch and refuse to let Little Critter join their football game at recess. Little Critter is disheartened but determined. He will grow, one way or another.

He tries the normal ways: eating lots of vegetables, doing lots of exercise. But these don't make any noticeable difference, so he goes for a different approach. Inspired by a comic book, he makes what he calls a "growing machine". It's really little more than a cardboard box, but he's convinced that if he spends his day in there he'll end up big enough to stand up to those bullies at school. Will it work? And if it doesn't, how will he ever manage to survive school until his next growth spurt?

Oddly enough, I never was too interested in being bigger. I always wanted to be smaller, especially once I started growing out of the kiddie rides at amusement parks and found it difficult to wriggle my way under the deck or my bed. I didn't have to be told of the advantages inherent in being puny. But Little Critter does, and so do all the other children who wish they could be big and burly overnight. Whether you're too little to do what you want to do or too big, Just Big Enough will help you appreciate your size and use your characteristics to the fullest.