"It's busy in town today. I don't like it. So I ask to go up high."
This book celebrates the special relationship between a father and his son. It also, in a non-didactic way, shows the importance of slowing down and really taking time to look at your world - especially the tiny things you might overlook. Dad is tall and his son is small but when dad scoops him up onto his shoulders the little boy feels like a giant. He also feels safe in the crowded city. The love we witness between this father and son is a truly special part of this story and the final scene will make you smile.
See inside Up High here on the Nosy Crow publisher page. Take a look at this Instagram post from Matt Hunt. He has a young son and you can read how that inspired this book.
Rachel Moffat: Is there anything specific you hope readers take away from reading Up High?
Matt Hunt: Maybe to slow down a bit and enjoy the little things in life.
The illustrations, which are partly collage, really caught my eye. This book was a 2025 Carnegie illustration nomination:
Publisher blurb: Going up high on Dad's shoulders is the best way to feel BIG when everything makes you feel small. But maybe, just maybe, being down low is just as good as being up high . . .
A young boy and his dad go on a walk to the park. When the little boy starts to feel small walking through the busy streets in town, his dad puts him on his shoulders and, suddenly, it feels like he's flying! And when they reach the park with its birds that sing and leaves that rustle, the boy starts noticing things. Little things. A busy squirrel, a frog on a lily-pad, a tiny ladybird . . . and LOTS of small, amazing things that might just make him feel a little bigger inside!
This sweet and relatable book has a tall, narrow shape that reproduces Dad’s gangly frame. Loose watercolor paintings with noticeable brush strokes and bright colors perfectly suit the lazy, impromptu observations that dominate the walk. City kids will appreciate the urban street scenes, filled with familiar sights, like a hardware store window, grimy sidewalks, park benches, and even another little kid riding “up high” on her dad’s shoulders. We never actually see all of Dad’s face, mostly his eyes, or his legs, or the top of his head, which further emphasizes the father’s height. YS Book Review
Note the paperback edition has a different cover
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