| Author: Mel Tregonning Book Review By: Divya Kumar Class: 7 |
Small Things
I selected the book Small Things by Mel Tregonning because I feel it is a book that other kids my age must read. When I got it as a gift, I was surprised to see that it was a graphic novel and had no words.
The book stands out for me because the plot is about anxiety in kids. It is true, most of us kids have worries. Some of us worry more as we grow up. Our worries can become a big burden and affect everything we do. Even in my friends’ group, we chose our dress so others don’t think we’re odd. Some of my smart classmates don’t even answer questions in class because they worry. “What if we are wrong? Or what if our friends think we’re acting over smart? What can we do?” We are afraid that if we tell others they’ll make fun of us or say we must think positive thoughts. But it is hard to think positive thoughts when your worry is eating you inside. The author/illustrator captures the confusion, stress and struggles beautifully using the black and white illustrations.
The story is about an ordinary kid. But he changes slowly and worries about small things. When his worries take over he doesn’t know how to manage them. The boy begins to struggle in school and outside. Luckily, someone close to him notices this and helps him before it gets too bad.
Even though Small Things is a kid’s book, I feel that parents must also read it. It gives them an insight into how we feel when our worries add up. The book points out that our fears may not be normal! That is the problem with these thoughts. They confuse us, and we don’t know what is real. But telling us not to think negatively does not help us manage them. Our worries may seem like small things for you, but for us kids, they are a big deal.
The other important point in Small Things is how the author shows the boy was not always worried. The changes build up slowly. That’s another thing adult must learn from the book. Kids can be happy when they are really young and become anxious as they grow older. When adults say, “But why are you thinking like that? You were okay earlier,” they don’t understand what we are going through. My recommendation is for kids 10-15 and their parents to read this book. It will help adults realise they must learn how to help us.
I understood the author captured kids’ feelings beautifully because she also struggled with mental health problems. Sadly, she died by suicide. The illustrations were completed by another artist, Shaun Tan.
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