The Big Book is the book we carry everywhere, the one we delve into before falling asleep, the one we dig into between two other activities. The one that belongs to us. The one we share. The one that has so many pages that we must be big ourselves. The one that makes us feel weird, the one that makes us laugh, the one that says anything but not only that. In one word, THE Big Book.

Hardcover picture book, 9 x 12 cm, 184 pages. Rights sold: Italian

THE WHITE RAVENS 2025

Absurd, funny, and wise – these words aptly describe this »big book« by Delphine Perret. The title is deliberately contradictory, since the book is actually palm-sized. This playfully philosophical book delights in turning conventional thinking upside down, showing children the possibilities of the medium of the book: where to read, how to read… or even not to read at all? Therefore, right in the middle, the book takes a short break. Perret’s minimalist black-and-white illustrations and her laconic texts form short comic strips full of subtle humour that gleefully defies logic. Is a rotten apple useless? »Oh, come on!« retorts a magnificent tree that has grown from the discarded fruit, suggesting that what humans consider worthless might have value we don’t see. The stories show many ways to be content: a pebble and a cat are both perfect for children because the animal can play, but the stone cannot die. This book offers »big« encouragement for finding your own way in a world full of supposed superlatives. (Age: 5+)