EVERYWHERE, WONDER

Name: EVERYWHERE, WONDER
Author: Matthew Swanson
ISBN: 978-1-250-08795-9

by Matthew Swanson ; illustrated by Robbi Behr ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 7, 2017

Whether this has children writing their own stories or not, its expansive exhortation should definitely get them noticing.

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A picture-book call to dream and to create.

Swanson’s fanciful and whimsical exploration of the meeting of imagination and story is strengthened by the jewel-toned colors and sheer scope of Behr's illustrations. Written in second person, the text encourages the brown-skinned child protagonist—along with readers—to remember and to notice in order to discover ever more stories and go on more flights of the imagination. But it’s when the illustrations marry the text, taking readers to such disparate places as the Coral Sea, the near side of the moon, Sheboygan, and Kenya, that the book shines. At times facile, Swanson’s words work better when actually showing rather than telling readers that “wonders…are interesting [and] beautiful.” It’s in the specifics of the wonders described—“a blue balloon that must have slipped from someone’s fingers”—and in the buoyant illustrations that this book holds and shares its joy—and that it succeeds. The strongest illustrations are those that play with negative space, as when a polar bear wanders off the ice and into the child’s white-walled room, the one blending seamlessly with the other. A journey of the imagination, the book could be of use as a teaching tool to encourage budding writers and creators to notice and imagine stories based on both what they know and what they dream of.

Whether this has children writing their own stories or not, its expansive exhortation should definitely get them noticing. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-250-08795-9

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Imprint

Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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BEN YOKOYAMA AND THE COOKIE OF PERFECTION
by Matthew Swanson ; illustrated by Robbi Behr

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SUNRISE SUMMER
by Matthew Swanson ; illustrated by Robbi Behr

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BEN YOKOYAMA AND THE COOKIE OF DOOM
by Matthew Swanson ; illustrated by Robbi Behr

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THE WORLD NEEDS THE WONDER YOU SEE

by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 28, 2025

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.

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Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.

There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025

ISBN: 9781400247417

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WORLD NEEDS WHO YOU WERE MADE TO BE
by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)