Big Love
Age 2+
Family & Home Stories
How can you describe how big a parent’s love is for their child? Is it as big as a house, as big as a city, as big as the world? This uplifting picture book helps young readers in finding an answer.
This is the house. It’s very big! But it’s not as big as my love for you.
No matter how different our families may be, the one thing we all have in common is love. The evocative text and vibrant artwork explore the boundless love of a parent, comparing the scope of the familiar and the great unknown to the love they have for their child.
Creators
Megan Jacobson is an award-winning YA author and TV scriptwriter. She grew up in Darwin and the far north coast of NSW and lives in Sydney where she works in TV news production at the ABC. Her first novel, Yellow, was shortlisted in the Book of the Year: Older Readers category of the 2017 CBCA Awards. It was also shortlisted for the 2018 REAL Children’s Choice awards: Fiction for years 7-9; as well as for the 2017 Davitt Awards: Young Adult category.Her second novel, The Build-Up Season, won the 2018 Australian Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature; was shortlisted for the 2018 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards – Ethel Turner’s Prize for Young People’s Literature; and was shortlisted for the 2019 REAL Children’s Choice Awards: Fiction for Years 7-9. Big Love is Megan's first picture book.
Beck Feiner is an illustrator, designer and author living in Sydney. She says her creative style has evolved from her years working as a graphic designer and art-director in the advertising industry in Sydney and overseas. After becoming a mother of two children, Beck decided to focus on her true passion: illustration. She then created the original "Mum’s Milestones" cards plus the first ever Yiddish Emojis. In 2017 she was approached by Harper Collins to turn a project Aussie Legends Alphabet into a book. This turned into a 4 book deal, with her husband Robin Feiner as writer/co creator. Their second book is If I was Prime Minister. Big Love is Beck's first picture book for Walker Books Australia.
Reviews
This is the first picture book for YA author and screenwriter Megan Jacobson, and her descriptions are richly evocative: volcanoes burp, galaxies sparkle like spilled glitter and treetops tickle the roof. In the midst of this glorious wildness, the simple repeated refrain of ‘it’s not as big as my love for you’ serves as a reassuring anchor. Stylish illustrations from Beck Feiner accompany the text and provide charming details that will add to the pleasure of reading together.
Books and Publishing
A wonderful statement of reassurance. It’s sure to become a favourite in school and home libraries.
Reading Time
In this book, the digital art has been created with a skilled hand. The illustrator’s work as a graphic designer shines through. The illustrations are very appealing and vibrant and contain some wonderful touches of humour. I really like the way the text is positioned in interesting ways using the illustrations themselves as frames to hold the words. The contrast of busy pages with lots of action and text, followed by the quieter refrain pages, also work really well. The inclusivity, where different types of families are portrayed, is done very naturally. Grandma on the laptop screen is especially contemporary and timely. The final page, with all those scattered bits and pieces, invites readers revisit the text and more importantly to enjoy a meaningful book conversation.
Momo Time to Read
