The Tallest of Smalls

by Max Lucado, Maria Monescillo (Illustrator)

An encouraging message for children: When you feel like you'rethe smallest of smalls, Jesus' love can make you feel like the tallestof talls.

A delightful rhyming story about the Too-Smalls who live in theStiltsville. Every evening a six, the Too-Smalls meet in the squarewhere they hope they'll be picked to receive stilts to strut aboutabove the stilt-less masses below. They come to see if they matter--ifthey're awesome, if they're pretty, if they're clever, or funny. Ollie, the smallest of too-smalls, pleas to be picked. He wants to be like thehigh-ups of Stiltsville who are proud of their stilts, the ultimatestatus. But once he gets stilts, oh how it hurts when he stumbles andtumbles and loses his stilts. That is . . . until he meets Jesus whochose low over high telling him, "Keep your feet on the ground. Youmatter already."
This book for kids coordinates with Max's trade book, Fearless, releasing in September 2009.

Genres: Christian, Picture Books, Childrens, Christian Fiction, Religion

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

With more than 150 million products in print and several NYT bestsellers, Max Lucado is America's bestselling inspirational author. He serves the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Denalyn, and their mischievous mutt, Andy. His most recent book published in August 2024 and is titled What Happens Next.

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Reviews

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tallest of Smalls by Max Lucado is a parable taken from his book Fearless. It was probably my favorite section in the book Fearless. The Tallest of Smalls is the story of a village where those who are hip and cool walk around town on stilts. They look down their noses at those whom they consider not cool or hip. One day Ollie is picked and given a pair of sticks. When he falls he finds out that those with whom he was walking tall no longer considered him cool after all. But Jesus camae along and helped him up. He let Ollie know that he is important to him. The illustrations in this book were done by Maria Monescillo. I loved them. I loved the story told in rhyme. Most important to me was the message in the story. It is simple enough that a very young child can figure it out. I can't wait to share this with my grandchildren. I know that they will love it as much as I do. I hope to make it a tradition to share this book every time they come over.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this when I read it. It gives off the vibe where you don’t have to be big, tall or powerful to fit in. With God you feel like a somebody and feel needed when you remember that He is always with you

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly beautiful illustrated story about how God made us all and we are special in our own ways.!

[Troy Nevitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucado's books are usually pretty cute and short. There wasn't much substance but it's a feel-good story.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rhyming and pictures were fun. The story was weak. The ending was a good reminder that we all matter.

[Larissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ollie is a Too Small of Stiltsville. Only the special in Stiltsville are chosen to walk about on tall stilts, but Ollie was not special, or clever, or funny, or cool. So for a long time Ollie felt unwanted, unworthy and unhappy. One day, however, Ollie was chosen to own stilts, and it was the happiest day of his life. That is until he tried to walk on the silts. When he fell none of the other stilt walkers were there for him, but someone else was. Ollie learnt that it doesn't matter how tall you are, all that matters is being yourself.

The Tallest of Small is a charming children's story of acceptance and of belief in oneself. It is also a story of Jesus and faith, but no matter if you believe in several gods, or one god, or in no gods, the message in this story is one everyone can appreciate. The story is one that both girls and boys will enjoy and teaches that you are special because you are who you are.

The Tallest of Smalls is a parable from Max Lucado's novel Fearless . The rhyming story is captivating, creating a lovely flow to the story that children will enjoy. Equally enjoyable are the beautiful and bright illustrations that compliment this fun and poignant story.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the town of Stiltsville the community is divided into two groups. Once group places themselves above the other standing on stilts. Ollie is a boy who sees himself as not special and desires to be valued by receiving the gift of stilts. When Ollie receives his stilts, his raised position above those on the ground does not last long and Ollie learns that his value is not in stilts but in his relationship with his maker and savior.

Overall this is a very cute book with great illustrations that help engage children to the text. My daughter pointed out visuals that corresponded with the story, furthering the experience. However, despite its cuteness the book does fall a little flat in some areas. The cover advertises a tie-in to the adult Lucado book Fearless. However, readers not familiar with that book will have a hard time connecting this children’s story with the topic of fear. Also in many ways this book feels like another telling if the Punchinello You are Special story which shares a common theme with this book, but Punchinello is more subtle and effective in execution.

Review Copy provided by Thomas Nelson

[Sue Pak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a fun read through, because it has a beat with the rhymes. It is great for code-breaking, text participant, and critical practices. It contains words such as less, least, better, best, shy, shier, etc.

It is about a city called Stiltsville, where only the cool and the popular get to walk in stilts. The rest of the people are on the ground. When Ollie falls off his stilts, no one offers to help and feels lonely. Jesus comes into Ollie's life.


This book is about breaking out of the social casts. The story is fun to read, but the message is abstract. I don't recommend this book to children who are really young, because the message is a bit hard to grasp. This would be more appropriate for 4th grade and up (not to read in school because it is a religious book).

[Kira · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book, but I'm wondering if it's a picture book for teens, or older kids, and not young kids like my Diego (7 yrs old). It's basically a rhyming picture book that is a parable about being popular. The kid is chosen to be part of the cool crowd, and his predictable fall from grace leaves him with no help from the in-crowd but Jesus comes in the end and talks to him of his worth as a son of Heavenly Father. A sweet message, but it went juuuust above the head of my homeschooled first grader who had yet to encounter the sting of not sitting at the cool cliques table. I might give it to my teen sister to make her smile :)

[Michelle Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love how inspiring this book is for people. It shows how even if we feel small and meaningless, big things can happen in our lives. God can use us in many ways. Students might fell like the "smallest of smalls" since they are young children, but this book can show them how they can be used for larger purposes.

[Luana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize when I bought this book that it had a religious themed moral. It's a book that teaches kids that Jesus loves them unconditionally. In order to overcome hardships, you find Jesus or Jesus finds you. I don't know if I'd read this book in my classroom, because not everyone believes in Jesus. It is ideal for all ages.

[Kaetlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a boy in stitville who wanted stilts. One day he did. And fell over. Insead of helping him the people of stitville took his stilts. Jesus told him that he did not need stilts and he loved him very much.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great kids book that is a follow up to the book Fearless.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emma is still a little young for this book, but I liked it!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nicely illustrated story about how feeling big in God's eyes is more important (and feels better) than feeling big in the crowd's eyes.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice moral but certainly not the same kind of wonderful as You Are Special by Max Lucado.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good message. The front cover was captivating but the body of illustrations seemed flat and disappointing.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

The message is great, but it gets lost in the language.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the message of this book, but didn't like the illustrations and the story. Too bad, though. I usually love Max Lucado children's books.

[Geri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure if the message is clear.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another favorite. The art is beautiful and it has a wonderful Biblical message.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nyoba di seksi buku impor Gramedia Plangi, bagian dari ritual belanja mingguan.

[Sha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max Lucado's children's books never disappoint, and this book is no exception.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was a good book. My 3 kids enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend this book to others.