Big by Vashti Harrison was published in 2023.
It is one of those books where the illustrations are doing as much work as the story itself.
The book already has some major awards like the Caldecott Medal. Once you spend time with the artwork you understand why.
What stands out right away is how simple the character design is. In a way that still feels intentional.
The main character is drawn with soft and rounded shapes with very natural expressions.
Nothing feels overdone. Instead of big dramatic reactions you get small shifts in posture and body language that say a lot.
The way the main character expresses herself changes throughout the book and that alone tells a huge part of the story.
The linework has a loose almost sketchy feel, which makes everything seem more emotional and less rigid.
It gives the sense that the drawings are reacting to what’s happening, not just showing it.
As the story moves on, the lines and shapes start to feel a little tighter and heavier which mirrors the pressure the character is feeling.
Color is handled in a really subtle way. You’re mostly looking at soft, warm tones but they shift just enough to change the mood.
When things feel calm or safe, the colors feel lighter and more open. When things get uncomfortable the tones get slightly darker or cooler.
One of the most interesting parts of the artwork is how space is used.
Early on, the character has room to exist on the page. As the story goes on it can feel like that space is shrinking.
Even though the word “big” keeps coming up, she sometimes looks smaller in the way she’s placed.
Later, when she starts to take up space again. It feels more intentional.
Overall, Big is a great example of how children’s book illustrations can carry emotion without needing to explain everything.
The art feels quiet but really thoughtful and it gives the story a lot more depth than you might expect.
It’s the kind of book where you end up paying more attention to the pictures every time you go back to it.