Edition One · Narrative Artifact

The Extraordinary World of a Very Small Mouse.

A heirloom-tier children's story, hand-bound in linen and printed on archival paper — crafted to be read aloud, then passed down.

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Pesto Wants to Be Big! book cover by Willa Prawer
A Story About Being Small Read Aloud at Bedtime Pictures Drawn by Hand For Ages 4 and Up Made to Be Read Together
A page from Pesto Wants to Be Big!
Who is Pesto?

A small mouse, and the big idea that he was enough all along.

Pesto is an adorable, petite mouse. What other mice reach easily, he needs extra help to snatch. He usually doesn't mind being petite — until one day stacked full of obstacles left him frustrated with his size.

He tried many ways to grow bigger. None of his plans worked, and Pesto remained teensy. That is when his mother reminds him that he is perfect as he is — every mouse is different, and that is a good thing.

Pesto's story teaches children they need not change a thing to feel confident — accepting who you are is the most transformative goal of all.

The Process

From a doodle in math class to an heirloom in your hands.

  1. Began doodling a small mouse in ninth-grade math class.
  2. Resolved to turn the drawings into a book through an independent study.
  3. Completed the manuscript over fall break.
  4. Began the illustrations; published and received the first printed copy.
  5. Opened the archive to readers at the close of summer.
  6. Expanding the project — partnering with RIF and Bookworm Global to donate and share.
Willa Prawer, author of Pesto Wants to Be Big!
Willa Prawer · Author & Illustrator
A Note from the Author

Why I made this book.

I started drawing Pesto in the margins of my ninth-grade math notebook — a small mouse who felt too small for the world he lived in. I wanted to give him, and every child who meets him, permission to be exactly the size they are.

High-quality picture books do more than entertain. Laurie Harper and Susan Trostle-Brand show how they heighten a child's emotional sense, build empathy, and sharpen moral thinking. Reading them together — at bedtime, in the classroom — is where the real lessons land.

Is your kid having trouble making friends? Read The Invisible Boy. Is their personal space being invaded? Read Don't Touch My Hair. There is a special book for every occasion, and I hope Pesto's becomes one of yours.

— Willa