Tall
PreS–Bobo, the chimp who searched for his very own embrace in the tenderHug(Candlewick, 2000), is back with a new quest in mind. He makes his way through the jungle, feeling rather small until he climbs on a rock and is convinced that he is now tall. Unfortunately, many creatures still tower over him, even as he is lifted onto the head of a baby lion, a baby elephant, and even a giraffe before taking a dramatic tumble and being saved by his mother's nick-of-time catch. By the end, a slightly wiser Bobo is satisfied being small, while held tight in Mom's protective arms. In spite of the spare text (there are five words in all), Bobo embodies an impressive range of identifiable emotions. Alborough's adept pen-and-gouache illustrations make each feeling and point of view crystal clear through everything from slumped shoulders to delighted outstretched arms. Even the chimp's brief moments of woe are less self-pitying than simply glum. A must-have title for any children who have ever felt less than enchanted with their diminutive status.–Elizabeth Bird, New York Public LibraryCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.