Reviewed by Antoinette Wessels for Readers' Favorite

Go, Big! Go Home! A Birthday Story About Friendship, written and illustrated by Jo Hudson, is an enchanting tale about a birthday. Big is a big blue bear, and today is a very special day. Today is Big’s Birthday, and he can’t wait to celebrate it with his extraordinary friends. He is excited at the thought of going to Pew E. the Skunk for his birthday tea with honey, followed by a delicious birthday cookie from Earl the Squirrel. After that, he and Roxy the Fox will play fun birthday games. Then there will be the big bright birthday balloon from Rooney the Raccoon. Finally, he will get a great birthday card from his friend Thomas the Toad. But soon, Big realizes that this special day might not be as special as he had hoped.

What a delightful story about a big blue bear’s birthday. Beautifully written and illustrated by Jo Hudson, Go Big! Go Home! is an easy read for children between the ages of three and five. Throughout the adventure, Jo Hudson makes use of the font size to demonstrate how Big was beginning to doubt that his birthday would be that special after all. It illustrates the importance of friendships excellently, and, even as an adult, I have to admit I enjoyed the pictures and rhymes. This short story is written for both boys and girls and will make a lovely bedtime tale to read to young children on their birthdays. It will teach them how they must specially treat their friends at birthday time and how much that will mean to them.