About the Idea
Bobo realises that, relative to many things around him, he is small and he decides that he would like to be bigger. It is, I suppose, symbolic of a feeling of wanting to grow up quicker. As in Hug, Bobo’s friends try to help him find what he is missing, but all the good will in the world cannot change the fact that Bobo is only a baby, and so he is small. His contentment only comes when, in the protective arms of his Mummy, he accepts what he is.
All children, being small beings in a big world, are continually confronted with the subject of size quite early on in their lives so I felt this was a fitting theme for a Bobo story. When I realised that this theme could be represented very simply in two words which rhyme (Tall and Small), then the story started appearing on my sketchpad.
About the Pictures
When you use so few words in a picture book, expressions and postures play a vital role in conveying information about the story and what the characters are feeling. I wanted to convey an air of anticipation and playfulness in this picture as Bobo’s two friends help him to experience what it’s like to be taller. I like the way that the three characters form a triangle shape with Bobo at the top and a tail at each side.