We live in a super-sized world. We innately believe (with a little product marketing help) that things are better when they are bigger, taller, more extensive, or more expensive.

But that’s not always the case. The Harry Potter books aren’t great just because they are long. To be great, they also have to be engaging, creative, and suspenseful. For a book to be superlative for you and other readers, it has to connect with you, regardless of how many pages it is. Do you remember special books that you loved, and read over and over again? I’m sure they had many characteristics in common, but I bet page count was not one of them.

I was reminded of this a few weeks ago when planning a trip to the zoo with my kids. I had originally planned to take them to the Bronx Zoo, which is a full day trip for us and isn’t cheap. It’s a wonderful zoo, and we have loved all of our other visits. But due to the threat of rain, I decided we would try our state zoo instead.

It is much smaller than the Bronx Zoo, but it was perfect for that day and this time in my children’s young lives. We explored the whole zoo in 2-1/2 hours, seeing plenty of exciting animals including tigers, alligators, and a little bird who wanted us to take him home. It was surprisingly fun, and just the right size for two young kids and one tired mommy. It was a quality zoo, regardless of its size. And we connected with it, going back to see the tigers (our favorite) again and again.

We’ll certainly be back to the Bronx Zoo again some time, but I’m glad there’s also a place for the smaller, charming, quality experience.