Customer Reviews

All the World

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

not to mention ART. The illustrations in this book are exceptional. There is so much to like about this book in how it speaks directly to a child's natural curiosity about the world and it's inhabitants.

1. The first section of the book deals with a child's connection to nature (seashore, garden, trees, gusting winds leading into summer showers) focusing on a brother and sister as they interact with the world around them.

2. The summer shower becomes the transition from the world of nature to the children's connection with the world of human beings as they enter into a intimate and cozy restaurant for supper. In this section the people we've been seeing in the background of previous illustrations become larger.

3. People of various cultures are seen eating and working together (in the restaurant kitchen) and then playing musical instruments in the home of the children who are the focal characters in the story.

There is so much about this book that catches a child's imagination and so many ways it can be used to enrich their understanding of the world around them. There is so much for a child to discover in the illustrations alone. One of my students pointed out the fact that whenever the two children headed to a new location the artist painted it in the distance.

Another wonderful aspect of the book is how it starts in the morning and ends at night time. We see the world and it's inhabitants transition from the activities and landscapes of the day to those associated with the evening.

I highly recommend this book to parents and teachers of young children & anyone who loves beautiful illustrations.

Plus: Some of the illustrations are stunning. They remind me of the work of Virginia Lee Burton (Mike Mulligan, etc.). They have that old-fashioned, soothing pastel feel. The message is comforting as well: the whole "we are one with the universe" theme plays throughout. Also, they have made the family multiracial. The mom is white and the father is (my guess) African-American; the kids are multiracial. This makes it a better choice for libraries than some of the classics.

Minus: the reading level is listed here as 9 to 12. But really, this is a read-aloud book for younger children (kindergarten and below). Some pages only have a few words. Older children would probably enjoy it also, for the message and beautiful pictures---but once would likely be enough. Also, because of the layout, some of the pictures that go with the words don't appear until you turn the page. That means new readers won't be able to use the pictures to help decode the words.

Conclusion:
Originally I gave this three stars, but I came back and bumped it to four after reading it aloud to my daughter (age six). It was worth the cozy moment (although she hasn't asked to read it since, and she reads at the fourth-grade level). It would be a nice book to read with a grandchild. It is definitely a READ ALOUD book---something I'd probably choose from the library vs. a purchase, and not something I'd expect a child to choose to read on his or her own.

I've been reading ALL THE WORLD aloud, over and over, and over, while gazing at the illustrations, and getting more and more excited about its interplay of melodic text and stunning illustrations in which people young and old, are working and playing in harmony with the Earth and each other. Throughout the book they are connected to the birds, the bees, the rocks, the flowers, the sky, and the sea...

"Rock, stone, pebble, sand
Body, shoulder, arm, hand
A moat to dig, a shell to keep
All the world is wide and deep."

There are nine easy-to-recite-aloud stanzas to the poem that comprises the text of ALL THE WORLD. The poetry and images lead us through an idyllic day of surf and sandcastles; community-based agriculture; tree-climbing and bike-riding; and an incoming, late-afternoon downpour that sends everyone scuttling to the shelter of a cafe nestled among big trees. A post-storm quiet dusk becomes the prelude to a joyful evening when all the book's multigenerational characters gather for an impromptu acoustic jam. Everyone -- young and old -- is connected; everyone is part of the whole. Then, the hugs and pajamas.

Immersing us in a palette of blues, greens, tans, and browns that make my heart sing, illustrator Marla Frazee moves us effortlessly back and forth from the close-up intimacy of the characters connecting with one another, to expansive, double-page spreads that reveal the characters as being like little pebbles amidst the breathtaking beauty of our big and beautiful planet.

Which brings us back to the cover which show a big brother and little sister with their backs to us, gazing out to endless sea and sky from their vantage point upon a flower-covered seaside rise. They look so happy and relaxed, maybe just watching the swells and the seagulls, or maybe meditating upon the glory and immensity of the planet to which they are connected...

Please excuse me now. I have an urgent need to traverse the coastal hills and connect with them in time for tonight's summer seaside jam session...

On Friday afternoons I read books in my daughter's first grade classroom. Often there is one kid or another who can't sit still for an entire book - wants to wander, wants to talk, etc. When I shared All The World with 18 first graders, there was not a peep. Not a motion. All the kids, and the teacher too for that matter, sat rapt with attention and in awe of the beauty and poetry of the words and illustrations. Beautiful book that will surely be a classic. I love this book.

A family plays at the beach, stops at the market, gets caught in the rain. Hungry, cranky kids are soothed with soup and fresh bread at a friendly restaurant. Members of a multigenerational, multi-racial family play and eat together and enjoy each other's company. It's the simplest imaginable story, told in pictures and rhyme, and it's just lovely.

The illustrations are reminiscent of old favorites like "Millions of Cats" and "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel," but they feel fresh, not derivative. The rhyming story has an infectious, bouncy rhythm. The hardcover book itself is nice and big -- over 11 inches square -- so there's lots of room on each page for a parent and child to pore over the detailed pictures together. Absolutely delightful. Note that the age recommendation is totally off; this is a picture book appropriate for preschoolers and beginning readers.

We just got this book from our library and have now added it to our wishlist to purchase. The images are dreamy and we really like the sing song lyrical flow of the words. As an attachment parenting mother I really adored the babies in slings and breastfeeding. I was also very happy to see things that we hold dear to us, such as a community gardening and all different kinds of families and the beautiful scene of everyone together making music.

A lovely addition to the home library for open minded attachment parenting families.

All The World is a true classic. The combination of Liz Garton-Scanlon's poetic writing and Marla Frazee's extraordinary illustrations is magnificent. There is a certain timelessness to this book. The people in the book are doing things that they could have been doing together for centuries (eating, going to the beach, gather to play music, going to the farmer's market, laughing, playing...). What I love the most about this book is that it truly does celebrate "All the World" - Babies, children, teens, parents, older adults, people of color, same sex couples, etc. It's showing what's real; we are all different and that's just right. Thank you Liz and Marla for creating such a masterpiece which reminds us all of what's important in life.

I absolutely loved this book. I read it to my 6 year old a couple of times so far and he too enjoys it. The pictures alone are breathtakenly beautiful. If the artist does not win a Caldecott or some other award for the work on this book, I will be very surprised. They reminded me so much of an earlier type of illustration found in Curious George combined with a touch of Hayao Miyazaki.
The story too was very good and had a joyous message. My copy will be donated to our school's library so all the kids can enjoy it.

The other reviewers have done a wonderful job of explaining the book, it is a lovely message and the artwork is very pleasing to look at. As a mother I thoroughly enjoy reading my child story books which carry a meaningful message and while my 5yr old seemed pleased with the story when I first read it she hasn't asked for it again... and when I've suggested it she's requested other books instead. For that reason I'm not sure if I'd suggested it for the kindergarten crowd, for a younger child who is more mesmerized by mom/dad's voice and dreamy images I think it would be wonderful and I'd also suggest it as a gift for an adult. It might not be a favorite of my little girl but it has become one of mine and I plan to read it to my new baby once he/she is born as well.

At first glance this book may not seem that impressive but don't stop there! When I actually sat down and read the verses and looked at the images I was extremely impressed. The overall message of "all the world is all of us" is both powerful and wonderful. The illustrations, which I thought at first to be a bit old-fashioned in their style and coloring, are filled with delightful figures engaged in numerous activities that young children will enjoy and identify with.

My only wish . . . that my son was younger so we could curl up on the couch and I could read to him again!