PAPA BRINGS ME THE WORLD

A father’s travels inspire a young child to dream of exploring the world.

Lu’s papa is a photojournalist who frequently leaves their cozy home to take pictures all over the world. Each time he returns, Papa brings Lu a small treasure: coins, an abacus, a game, a musical instrument. Lu misses Papa but never wishes for him to stop traveling. When Papa’s gone, Lu tracks his travels on a map and flips through his illustrated journals, dreaming of being old enough to travel too. Finally, it’s time! With an empty journal ready to be filled, Lu declares “I was born to explore. Just like Papa.” Lu’s first-person narrative is filled with Papa’s stories, heartfelt conversations between father and child, and Papa’s letters. Collages rendered with cut, layered paper and finished off with painted textures and rubber stamps create a warm, earthy atmosphere. The illustrations—which feature a brown-skinned, dark-haired father and child and a fair-skinned, dark-haired mama—alternate between filling the whole page, and highlighting a specific moment or object. Backmatter, including a map showing the origins of Papa’s small treasures and a game for readers to play with friends or family plus Papa’s and Lu’s illustrated journals, creates plenty of connections to personal expression and educational concepts. An accompanying note provides details about the author’s own childhood with a father who traveled the world.

A comforting story that will prompt exploration at home or in school.