Big Enough by Regina Linke

Grandfather sends young Ah-Fu to collect their ox from the field but he warns the boy:

"Just don't try to ride him ... you're not big enough to hold on yet."

As Ah-Fu walks along others add to this advice. The swallows warn him not to lead the ox by the horns; and the frog says don't herd the ox from behind. Three pieces of advice. It is a lot to remember but then Ah-Fu meets the ox and as they journey home it seems each piece of advice will need to be disregarded. Perhaps Ah-Fu is actually old enough for this important responsibility after all. 

Here is an interview with the author about her book and in this 9 minute video you can see Regina talking about Big Enough. Here is the web page for this book. 

I spied this book in one of our city bookstore a few month ago and then I attended an event in the store and the price of admission could be used for book purchases. This seems like such a great way to organise an event - people pay to attend so you can be sure they will come and the reward is a book or two.

If you buy Big Enough published in 2025 (AUS$30) for your school library you will want to work out how to share the image under the dust jacket. And so stop and consider the way the end papers move from early in the day to late at night. 

Author blurb: Little Ah-Fu has a big imagination, but he can’t imagine being the Oxherd Boy . . . yet. When the day comes for Ah-Fu to bring the huge family ox home from the woods, he worries that he’s not big enough to do the job.Will fear and self-doubt drive Ah-Fu home empty-handed? Or can he rely on his wits and compassion to become the Oxherd Boy his family expects—and prove to himself that he is, indeed, big enough? Delightfully paired with exquisite illustrations, this empowering story inspired by traditional Chinese philosophy shows kids big and small how to trust themselves and embrace what they can be.

The illustrations, painted digitally using traditional Chinese techniques, are by turns realistic and minimalist, then fantastical and lush, capturing an agrarian countryside filtered through the unbridled imagination of youth. This tale of quiet persistence, enhanced by the ox’s impressively expressive eyebrows, will strike a chord with young readers looking for their own burst of courage. A gentle adventure for big dreamers in small bodies. Kirkus

Big Enough is a debut picture book with a character taken from her previous book:

The Oxherd Boy (a book for adults) has 160 pages and was published in 2024. Here is the publisher blurb: In this exquisitely illustrated parable grounded in the three pillars of Chinese philosophy, a young boy, his family ox, and a rabbit living in his garden help each other navigate the daily work of love, compassion, and community. Examining the world through the lenses of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, their conversations convey tender, uplifting messages for life's various crossroads. As they adopt a sparrow, bathe in rivers, comfort their neighbors, and tend to their chores, the characters’ different perspectives are reflected in their conversations: the boy’s Taoist love of nature and all it entails, the ox’s Buddhist compassion for others, and the rabbit’s Confucian practice of mutual respect and care. While they don't always agree, the friends settle on the basic truth that purpose comes from simply engaging with life—and with each other. Painted in a contemporary gongbi style, one of the oldest continuous art forms in the world, the atmospheric illustrations from Taiwanese American artist Regina Linke conjure a timeless, mystical land where the friends have made their home. The potent combination of magnificent art and gentle revelations will capture the hearts of readers, whatever their age.