Giant Tess by Dan Yaccarino (review)

Tess sticks out like a sore thumb for being a giant in Myth-hattan, where the inhabitants are all (much smaller) fantastical creatures. Towering over her classmates, bumping her noggin on blimps, and accidentally ruining a parade, Tess is sick of being different—until she gets the chance to help a hurt dragon, who then helps her save the mayor from floating off on a parade balloon gone rogue. The glimpses of Myth-hattan with its fantasy creatures are endearing, and readers familiar with New York will enjoy the visual references to the city. Humorous glimpses at baby Tess’ bottom and an image of her napping and obstructing a full-sized car provide humor; however, the composition of the retro-style art is static and flat with un-stimulating planes of color, and the foregrounds are far more interesting than the less-detailed backgrounds. Additionally, the overdone love-your-differences plot covers too much territory for the page count, and Tess’ sudden self-acceptance is more convenient than likely. This book can be read aloud, but the sparse text and minimalistic art may also make this suitable for younger readers to try on their own. Though there’s a better giant kid story in Hawkes’ The Wicked Big Toddlah (BCCB 10/07), tall kids, kids who appreciate dragons, and kids who like NYC may find something agreeable here.