Pink, purple, and lots of glitter… an award-winning combination for little girls. Yet when I unveiled Dream Big Little Pig, a new children’s’ picture book by Olympic figure skating star Kristi Yamaguchi, I was more excited than my daughter.
No stranger to dreaming big, Kristi Yamaguchi adds children’s book author to her long list of accomplishments that include Olympic gold medalist, mother, philanthropist, and winner of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” She has written a cute, inspirational book that will encourage children not to give up when following their dreams and to believe in themselves.
Poppy is a little pig that never stops dreaming and, thanks to the love and support of family and friends, she keeps dreaming big. Her main dream is to be a star. On her quest for stardom she tries several activities, but her efforts are met with suggestions that she “try something else.” Eventually Poppy discovers ice-skating, which she falls in love with despite the fact that she slides and falls as much as anyone skating for the first time.
Dream Big Little Pig is wonderfully illustrated by Tim Bowers. The images are colorful, fun and are perfectly wed to the story. Although the book is a bit predictable, it has a surprise ending… yes, Poppy becomes an amazing ice-skater, but she doesn’t stop dreaming there.
This is a cute story with wonderful pictures; however it didn’t quite meet my high expectations (which were set perhaps unrealistically high because of my admiration for the author).
While we have read and enjoyed Dream Big Little Pig a number of times, it has not received the instant “read it again” demands my 3-year-old son and daughter issue when they are especially taken with a book. However, my kids are a bit younger than the recommended age for this story of 4 and up and may yet fall in love with Poppy. 
For more information, visit Kristi Yamaguchi’s website: www.alwaysdream.org.
Cate Burke is the very busy (but very lucky) mother of 2-year-old boy/girl twins. Happily married for 10 years, this California girl now lives in Iowa, where she freelances as an independent marketing consultant. She is an avid reader (when time permits) and has a professional background in marketing and public relations for non-profit organizations.
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