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Not Little
Just because you're really small doesn't mean you can't have a big heart. When the diminutive Dot stands up to a bully on behalf of an even smaller friend, she proves how big she can truly be.
Dot is the smallest person in her family and at school; even her name is small! People often mistake her for being younger than she is, but not when she tells them the square root of sixty-four is eight, nor when she orders from the grown-up menu at restaurants or checks out the hard books at the library. She may be small, but she's not little.
When a new boy named Sam joins Dot's class, she wonders if he's even smaller than she is. When she sees him getting bullied by a mean kid twice his size, she knows she has to do the big thing and stand up for him.
Maya Myers's debut picture book has a pitch-perfect voice that captures the inimitable Dot in all her fierceness, and Hyewon Yum's delightful pastel-hued artwork is its perfect complement.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
An ALSC Notable Children's Book
Dot is the smallest person in her family and at school; even her name is small! People often mistake her for being younger than she is, but not when she tells them the square root of sixty-four is eight, nor when she orders from the grown-up menu at restaurants or checks out the hard books at the library. She may be small, but she's not little.
When a new boy named Sam joins Dot's class, she wonders if he's even smaller than she is. When she sees him getting bullied by a mean kid twice his size, she knows she has to do the big thing and stand up for him.
Maya Myers's debut picture book has a pitch-perfect voice that captures the inimitable Dot in all her fierceness, and Hyewon Yum's delightful pastel-hued artwork is its perfect complement.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
An ALSC Notable Children's Book
40 pages, Hardcover
Published July 6, 2021
About the author
Maya Myers
12 books31 followersMaya Myers is the author of Not Little and Not Perfect, illustrated by Hyewon Yum (Neal Porter Books/Holiday House), the Rosie Woods series (Capstone, '24), and National Geographic's Little Kids First Big Book of Baby Animals, along with a number of leveled readers. When she's not writing, she edits all sorts of books for publishers and authors. Maya is a former kindergarten teacher, K-5 literacy teacher, and piccolo player. She loves cooking, gardening, and (surprise!) reading. Maya lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, author-illustrator Matt Myers, three kids, seven chickens, and a twenty-three-pound cat named Hoss.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
October 15, 2022
Loved this sweet picture book that shows being small doesn't limit you to doing small things.
- Reviewed by Chelsea G.
- Reviewed by Chelsea G.
July 23, 2021
Get ready to fall in love with Dot. She is small. The smallest in her family. The smallest in her class. But she is NOT little. What Dot is, however, is delightful and fierce. The perfect voice and the expressive, spunky illustrations together create an amazing character that you will root for and watch in amazement. This one is set in school, so it works well as a back to school read, but it's also a great read aloud for talking about bullying, size, or when you just want to be wowed by a fun, strong character.
October 1, 2022
I'M NOT CRYING YOU ARE
I'm definitely crying. Adorable.
I'm definitely crying. Adorable.
October 1, 2022
An excellent story for kids who feel overlooked, misunderstood, or personally attacked.
November 13, 2024
This was a breath of fresh air! As someone who grew up being the littlest person in class, I can definitely relate!
July 30, 2021
I bought this book for my "4 and three quarter" year old daughter and cannot adequately express how much we both loved the story of Dot's heroics and the beautiful illustrations which really help bring Dot's story to life! With our daughter starting pre-K, we love how this story will help strengthen her natural desire to help others and stand up for what is right. We absolutely love this book and hope your family will treasure it as much as we do!!!
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May 1, 2024School book #17?
February 15, 2021
Dot is the smallest, in her family and her pre-school class, until Sam arrives. But she is not little! While she reveals her hope that just maybe she is a tiny bit taller than Sam, an encounter with a bully in the cafeteria reveals the truth. A beautifully rendered, just-right story demonstrating the size of a person does not determine the magnitude of their heart - or how fierce a person can be when necessity arises!
October 7, 2021
loved it! captures a younger child's feelings so well
July 29, 2021
Dot is the smallest person in her family. Everybody thinks that she’s too little to do things, but they are all wrong. She can do all sorts of things. She’s also the smallest person in her class. People even ask if she is in preschool. That’s when she proves them wrong by talking about all the things that she knows. When a new student joins her class, Sam is even smaller than Dot is. He is quiet and seems to be afraid of Dot. At recess, she sees that the mean boy is talking to Sam, and it’s clear he isn’t being nice. Dot decides to sit with Sam at lunch, both to talk to him about the bully but also to measure and make sure she is taller. Before she can reach the table though, the mean boy is there again and he is saying that Sam is a baby! Sam slumps lower and lower, while Dot gets angrier and angrier. The bully then makes the mistake of calling Dot little. But Dot has found her voice and knows she needs to stand up as tall and brave as she can.
Myers captures the indignities of being small for your age with Dot. Beautifully, Dot uses her words to fight back at the stereotypes, both by demonstrating what she knows out loud and also in the end by standing up to a bully. Dot’s push back at being called “little” is cleverly handled, as is her desire to not be the smallest when Sam arrives. It’s all lovely and richly human.
Yum’s illustrations show a protagonist from a multiracial blended family. Dot dresses in polka dots with bright colors that draw the eye directly to her on the page. Even if she is sometimes the smallest thing on the page, she is the focal point.
A big hearted book for tall and small alike. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Myers captures the indignities of being small for your age with Dot. Beautifully, Dot uses her words to fight back at the stereotypes, both by demonstrating what she knows out loud and also in the end by standing up to a bully. Dot’s push back at being called “little” is cleverly handled, as is her desire to not be the smallest when Sam arrives. It’s all lovely and richly human.
Yum’s illustrations show a protagonist from a multiracial blended family. Dot dresses in polka dots with bright colors that draw the eye directly to her on the page. Even if she is sometimes the smallest thing on the page, she is the focal point.
A big hearted book for tall and small alike. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
November 13, 2021
Plenty of youngsters will be able to relate to this story and its protagonist, Dot. Dot is the smallest member of her family, and while she doesn't mind being small in stature, she hates being considered or called little. In fact, Dot is smart, outspoken, and doesn't take crap from anyone. When Sam, a new boy, joins her classroom, she wonders if he might be even smaller than her. When a mean older boy starts picking on Sam at lunch, Dot rushes to protect him, blasting the bully after he refers to her by that word she hates so much. A new friendship is formed, and neither child cares about smallness in size. After all, there are other ways that someone can be big, and Dot has found just the right moment to demonstrate how big she can be. The illustrations, created with colored pencils, work well with the text, allowing Dot's burgeoning emotions and anger to be visible in several scenes, and capturing the oversized personality of this girl. It's encouraging to see a young girl stand up for herself and for someone else. This picture book would be helpful for allowing students to see how to defang a bully or how precision in word choice or semantics matters. I smiled as I read every page of the story.
June 27, 2021
Dot may be small but she is not little! Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the gifted copy of Not Little by Maya Myers with pictures by Hyewon Yum. This funny and utterly charming story about Dot captures just how big personalities can be even in the smallest of packages. Dot is the smallest in her family, smallest in her class, and is always treated like she is little because of her size. But she does not hesitate to correct others and she will make sure others know that she may be small, but she is definitely not little. When a new boy arrives at school, Dot finds that she may no longer be the smallest. As she wonders over this new development, she notices that the new boy has attracted the attention of a big kid at school. Dot is about to show this bully and the others around that she is not little.
Such a fun and charming picture book that really resonated with me as I was the smallest kid in my class growing up as well. Dot was definitely more spunky and fierce than myself at that age and I think that this story will resonate and connect with many kids who are small but not little.
Such a fun and charming picture book that really resonated with me as I was the smallest kid in my class growing up as well. Dot was definitely more spunky and fierce than myself at that age and I think that this story will resonate and connect with many kids who are small but not little.
May 17, 2022
I first wrote this review for my Instagram @miloureadsbooks
I’ve had so many experiences like Dot, as I am considered very small in the Netherlands.
Dot is the smallest person in her class, and in her family. People often think she is still in pre-school and question her abilities, even though she knows the capital of Indonesia and the square root of sixty-four. When a new boy, Sam, joins their class, she wants to warn him about a mean boy, and maybe see if she really is taller than him. At lunchtime, when the mean boy tells Sam he must be eating baby food, Dot shows her bravery and stands up to the bully. Sam is very impressed, and they become friends. Dot realizes Sam is also self-conscious about his height, and she actually lowers her face and says that if she is taller, it’s only by a little.
I loved seeing Dot being a bit of a hero and doing what is right! She also showed such character growth by realizing that being a good friend, is much more important than being tall. I think this story is so relatable for many kids who want to show off their independence and who are sometimes misunderstood by adults. Also, there is so much diversity shown in the pictures, even within Dot’s family. Finally, it was fitting that Dot was always wearing her spotted outfit, haha.
The illustrator, Hyewon Yum, grew up in Korea and only moved to the US for her master’s degree in fine art. Therefore, this is another lovely addition to #aapiheritagemonth
I’ve had so many experiences like Dot, as I am considered very small in the Netherlands.
Dot is the smallest person in her class, and in her family. People often think she is still in pre-school and question her abilities, even though she knows the capital of Indonesia and the square root of sixty-four. When a new boy, Sam, joins their class, she wants to warn him about a mean boy, and maybe see if she really is taller than him. At lunchtime, when the mean boy tells Sam he must be eating baby food, Dot shows her bravery and stands up to the bully. Sam is very impressed, and they become friends. Dot realizes Sam is also self-conscious about his height, and she actually lowers her face and says that if she is taller, it’s only by a little.
I loved seeing Dot being a bit of a hero and doing what is right! She also showed such character growth by realizing that being a good friend, is much more important than being tall. I think this story is so relatable for many kids who want to show off their independence and who are sometimes misunderstood by adults. Also, there is so much diversity shown in the pictures, even within Dot’s family. Finally, it was fitting that Dot was always wearing her spotted outfit, haha.
The illustrator, Hyewon Yum, grew up in Korea and only moved to the US for her master’s degree in fine art. Therefore, this is another lovely addition to #aapiheritagemonth
August 28, 2021
“I think you’re the biggest kid I ever met.”
Dot may be small in stature, but she has a big brain and a big heart. She is NOT little! Though others doubt her, Dot knows “I can do all kinds of things.” When Sam joins her classroom, Dot may no longer be the smallest in stature. At recess, Dot sees the mean boy talking to Sam and wonders if he’s saying mean things because Sam is so small. So Dot decides she’ll sit next to Sam at lunch, but the mean boy beats her to the spot. She overhears the mean boy making fun of Sam and doesn’t know quite what to do, until Sam slumps in his seat. Her heart beats faster and she draws in her breath: “Hey! That’s mean.” And in an even stronger voice, she puts the mean boy in his place for good.
A strong story about standing up for yourself and also standing up for others.
Dot may be small in stature, but she has a big brain and a big heart. She is NOT little! Though others doubt her, Dot knows “I can do all kinds of things.” When Sam joins her classroom, Dot may no longer be the smallest in stature. At recess, Dot sees the mean boy talking to Sam and wonders if he’s saying mean things because Sam is so small. So Dot decides she’ll sit next to Sam at lunch, but the mean boy beats her to the spot. She overhears the mean boy making fun of Sam and doesn’t know quite what to do, until Sam slumps in his seat. Her heart beats faster and she draws in her breath: “Hey! That’s mean.” And in an even stronger voice, she puts the mean boy in his place for good.
A strong story about standing up for yourself and also standing up for others.
January 24, 2022
Being small does not mean you are little -- though I'm not sure little is the right word, either. But it is true that people often make assumptions when they see folks that don't fit in with their preconceived notion of how someone should appear. So - if you are on the short end of the growth chart, bigger people may assume that you are younger than you actually are. And treat you that way. Or - as is the case in this book - a bully might call you a baby and make fun of you. Fortunately Dot refuses to let the bully get away with making fun of the new kid and of her - even though it takes a lot of courage. Fortunately, they are in the lunchroom at school and the teacher is there to intervene.
A good reminder that it is important for both kids and adults to be careful and stop to think before they make assumptions.
A good reminder that it is important for both kids and adults to be careful and stop to think before they make assumptions.
March 17, 2022
Such a great book for kids who feel like they can do so much more than others think they can do. Dot has a great spirit. There are so many fun levels in this book: how Dot doesn't want to be seen as being as little as she is, wanting to compare herself to the new littler kid in class while befriending him, standing up to bullies, and self-acceptance. Part of me feels like Dot is a little too pushy or rude, but at the same time, I encourage my own daughters (one who was always little like Dot) to stand up for themselves even if it means to be a little too loud sometimes. So, in the end, this one is a hit!
September 18, 2021
In this book, although Dot is small (short), she feels that small is very different from little (young.) She feels good about herself but wishes that people would use the correct words when talking about her size. She is very good about letting people know that they have used the wrong word, if only they would listen. Finally, when she has had enough of the school bully, she makes sure he hears her. This is a great book about standing up for yourself and your friends as well as how to correctly use words in your speaking and writing. Dot is big in her heart and her friendship.
April 24, 2025
Dot may be small, but she's not little. She's determined and BIG when it comes to standing up to bullies. I love how the illustrator portrayed the bully as being a lot bigger than Dot until she stood up to him, then, as she stands her ground, she gets bigger and he gets smaller. I also love that her strategy is initially to just avoid the bully, but then she decides to stand up to them once they are bullying someone else.
December 21, 2021
The story is strong be the text could have been better. Dot is the smallest kid in her class. But, to her, there's a difference between being small and being little, and Dot isn't little. She's confident, she's smart and she's brave. She's big. When a new kid joins the class and gets bullied, Dot stands up for him.
December 14, 2022
"Not Little" by Maya Myers is an inspirational book for many young children. Myers did a great job writing a wonderful picture book that is relatable to many young children. This book displays bullying and a young girl who wants to make a difference in this situation. "Not Little" is a must read for children.
March 29, 2024
Dot may be short for her age but she is not little. She shows readers all that she is able to do. When a bully picks on a new boy who may be shorter than she is, she finds the courage to stand up to the bully and make her point about not being little. Terrific book to offer at elementary schools as students are all shapes and sizes.
July 19, 2021
Commiseration for those of us who spent our childhoods having others think of--and treat us--as younger than we were! In this compassionate story, one of the smallest kids in class finds her inner strength when she stands up to a bully, and makes a new friend in the process.
July 21, 2021
A girl is short, but she is tired of people assuming she is young and little. Because she is sympathetic and sensitive about height, she notices when the equally short new boy is being bullied. Will she have the courage to stand up for the new kid?
July 31, 2021
A little girl with a BIG, spunky personality. I remember what it’s like to feel smaller than everyone else, and love how Dot refuses to be little, even if she’s the shortest one in her family and at school. So relatable, with touches of humor and lots of heart.
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August 14, 2021Dot may be small and have a small name but she's not little. One day she meets a new student in her class who may be even smaller than her. Sam gets picked on by another student and she decides she will have none of that...
October 29, 2021
Oh, man. Ohmanohmanohman.
Hilarious and adorable!! Dot is my new favorite character. I love her bun (to make her look taller, obviously), and her sass. And when she freaks out on the bully, I was laughing and cheering for her. Such a fun book!
Hilarious and adorable!! Dot is my new favorite character. I love her bun (to make her look taller, obviously), and her sass. And when she freaks out on the bully, I was laughing and cheering for her. Such a fun book!
November 5, 2021
Dot is a diminutive powerhouse. Tremble before her. And for god sake don't call her little. A wonderful tale of how to stand up for yourself and not be overlooked, stereotyped or not taken seriously. We should all take assertive lessons from Dot.
February 4, 2022
Dot is the smallest person in her family, the smallest person at school and most people tell her she is too little, but she's not! Meet a spunky girl who is willing to speak up for herself and others in Not Little by Maya Myers with equally spunky illustrations by Hyewon Yum.
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February 17, 2022This book is a great representation of how bullying can be solve by students. I think this book can be shown to a classroom to teach that even if we are different heights we are the same. I also love the simple illustration since they look like they were done with color pencils.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews