Well, I'm back from the emerald city! I had a great time, shopping and sightseeing and such, and read absolutely nothing. Except an article about the conspiracy behind the death of Biggie Smalls in an old Rolling Stone. That LAPD is up to no good, I tell ya!

Anyhoo, I am a little lacking in the sleep department, so today is a picture book. Jez Alborough has written too many books to count. My favourite is Duck in the Truck, which is pretty funny. That duck cracks me up every time!

Alborough is also a master of the one or two word picture book. Tall is his newest offering in that vein. The first page introduces us to a small chimpanzee who looks rather dejected as he describes himself as "small." But then he notices a rock to stand on, and feels "tall!" That is, until a lizard comes around, making him feel small again. On and on it goes until our friend is standing on the head of a giraffe, when he begins to wobble as he shouts "fall!" Fortunately, Mama is there to save Bobo, and you know, when you're being held by your mum, being "small" is actually a pretty nice feeling.

Bobo the chimp has also been featured in Hug, another cute one or two word picture book. The books are great, and would be super fun to read with a small child. Except that I hate the name Bobo. Don't you? It just sounds weird and not good. But since we don't learn the name till the end of the book, that is not much of an objection, is it?

Tall written and illustrated by Jez Alborough
ISBN 0763627844
40 pages