What do you think?
Big and Little Are Best Friends: A Story of Two Friends
Big is an elephant, Little is a mouse. Big enjoys soft music, warm weather, and small bites of savory foods. But Little prefers a loud drum jam, icy skiing weather, and mass quantities of sweets! Can two who are so different be best friends?
This charming, rhyming concept book about opposites reminds us that in the end, best friends can be different as night and day--and they don't need to change for anyone!
This charming, rhyming concept book about opposites reminds us that in the end, best friends can be different as night and day--and they don't need to change for anyone!
32 pages, Hardcover
Published May 9, 2017
About the author
Michael Garland
160 books34 followersAuthor and illustrator Michael Garland was born in Manhattan in 1952. He studied art at Pratt Institute and soon after graduating, he sold his first illustration to True Confessions magazine. He has written or illustrated over 40 books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 15, 2017
Garland, Michael Big and Little Are Best Friends. PICTURE BOOK. Orchard (Scholastic), 2017. $15.
Big (an elephant) and Little (a mouse) are best of friends. Despite the fact that they are about as opposite as can be, even if they have a disagreement, they know that they are always there for each other.
In most cases the things that each character likes seems to opposite of what you might think (Big likes to nibble, Little likes to eat). The rhyming text is very simple and works well to emphasize the unlikely pair. Its message of friends not needing to be the same is always needed.
Pre-K, EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
Big (an elephant) and Little (a mouse) are best of friends. Despite the fact that they are about as opposite as can be, even if they have a disagreement, they know that they are always there for each other.
In most cases the things that each character likes seems to opposite of what you might think (Big likes to nibble, Little likes to eat). The rhyming text is very simple and works well to emphasize the unlikely pair. Its message of friends not needing to be the same is always needed.
Pre-K, EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
September 14, 2023
Learn how opposites who attract each other... can become best friends.
Best of all are the robustly surreal illustrations by Michael Garland. (He's both the author and illustrators.)
My favorite illustration shows two facing pages:
Little, a mouse, riding his bicycle.
And Big, an elephant, riding his (only somewhat bigger) bicycle.
FIVE STARS for this keeper of a story.
Best of all are the robustly surreal illustrations by Michael Garland. (He's both the author and illustrators.)
My favorite illustration shows two facing pages:
Little, a mouse, riding his bicycle.
And Big, an elephant, riding his (only somewhat bigger) bicycle.
FIVE STARS for this keeper of a story.
June 3, 2017
Cute story with a sweet message (though really, if you and your best friend are *that* different, what do you talk about??). Nice rhyming poem that talks about friendship as well as covering many different kinds of opposites.
Good illustrations, too - they capture lots of funny facial expressions.
Good illustrations, too - they capture lots of funny facial expressions.
June 28, 2017
Another 4 star in my large stack of new books to read! I am super tired so when I am usually tried, I get cynical and critical so these book must be really good, if they can pass and get past the grumpy tired me! Nice pictures, fantastic book about opposites, good book about friendship!
May 9, 2017
Big bright illustrations in this opposite book about friends.
May 30, 2017
Cute book about opposites
July 10, 2017
Opposites!!!
July 20, 2017
A fun story about best friends and opposites.
August 5, 2017
An opposites concept book that demonstrates a lot through the friendship of Big (elephant) and Little (mouse).
From advanced reader copy.
From advanced reader copy.
January 21, 2020
A cute book that explores opposites and teaches a lesson about it being okay to be different from your friends.
February 25, 2020
This book is great to read when teaching antonyms.
August 30, 2023
Very simple
October 25, 2023
I dunno why scholastic would publish this.
September 27, 2024
Loved the fun book of opposites and being friends who a different.
Full page, colorful illustrations
Full page, colorful illustrations
July 2, 2025
Cute story, but the mouse is so small that it was hard for storytime kids sitting in the back to see it. Would work better as a lapsit book.
September 27, 2017
Summary:
This book shows how a big elephant and a little mouse are best friends. With very simple text and rhyming words, shows us how opposite and different elephant and mouse are. But despite their unlike thinking and disagreeing on certain things, they knew they would always have one another.
Activity:
After reading the book and teaching them the importance of friendship, they will create their own book of opposites. This book will include pages with opposites like; big-little, long-short, day-night, hot-cold and so on. The students will then get to draw and color in the picture that go with each word to help them see how they are opposites.
Citation:
Garland, M. (2017). Big and Little Are Best Friends. New York: Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
This book shows how a big elephant and a little mouse are best friends. With very simple text and rhyming words, shows us how opposite and different elephant and mouse are. But despite their unlike thinking and disagreeing on certain things, they knew they would always have one another.
Activity:
After reading the book and teaching them the importance of friendship, they will create their own book of opposites. This book will include pages with opposites like; big-little, long-short, day-night, hot-cold and so on. The students will then get to draw and color in the picture that go with each word to help them see how they are opposites.
Citation:
Garland, M. (2017). Big and Little Are Best Friends. New York: Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
Read
November 10, 2017Interest Level: K-3; Reading Level: 1.0
Can two best friends actually like different things? How is that possible? Well Big and Little prove that opposites attract. Can best friends fight? You betcha! Read this book to find out how they resolve their differences. Younger children will love the rhyming verse that makes up this book and the illustrations are bright and colorful. This book just makes you happy. If you want a feel good book that just makes you smile, read this book!
Follow me:
Facebook - Laurie’s Library Place - https://www.facebook.com/LauriesLibra...
Instagram - laurieslibrary - https://www.instagram.com/laurieslibr...
Twitter - https://twitter.com/lauriepurser27
Goodreads - Laurie Purser - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
Blog - Blazer Tales - https://blazertales.weebly.com/
Can two best friends actually like different things? How is that possible? Well Big and Little prove that opposites attract. Can best friends fight? You betcha! Read this book to find out how they resolve their differences. Younger children will love the rhyming verse that makes up this book and the illustrations are bright and colorful. This book just makes you happy. If you want a feel good book that just makes you smile, read this book!
Follow me:
Facebook - Laurie’s Library Place - https://www.facebook.com/LauriesLibra...
Instagram - laurieslibrary - https://www.instagram.com/laurieslibr...
Twitter - https://twitter.com/lauriepurser27
Goodreads - Laurie Purser - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
Blog - Blazer Tales - https://blazertales.weebly.com/
September 15, 2017
Michael Garland's simple rhyming text includes fun synonyms and antonyms and is perfect for beginning readers. Garland’s signature double page-spreads feature lively, humorous and colorful illustrations that will appeal to children's imaginations. He has written a timely and heartwarming story for children that celebrates tolerance. Elephant and a mouse are very different in surprising ways, but they learn to compromise and accept each other. They learn that they don't need to change who they are in order to become best friends.
Read
June 28, 2018An opposite book about the best friendship of Big, an elephant and Little, a mouse. Even though they're best friends they sometimes fight. But, they always make it right. And even though they are opposites, there is no need for them to change anything about themselves!
Reviewer 24
Reviewer 24
August 23, 2017
Really liked this for an opposites storytime.
March 1, 2018
Celebrates that friends can be different but that's ok.
November 28, 2018
Beautiful illustrations in this book of comparisons told in rhymes.
July 20, 2021
This is a great book for teaching opposites.
June 18, 2017
Cute! Good for teaching opposites too.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews