Who Is the World for? [Hardcover]

Tom Pow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2000

All over the world - in deep roomy seas, on high, green trees, in ice and snow - baby animals ask their parents "who is the world for?" In a house in the city, a boy asks his father the same question, and the boy and the baby bear and the lion cub all recieve the reply, "the world is for you!".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Delicately etched watercolor-and-pencil illustrations furnish an elegant counterpoint to Scottish poet Pow's children's book debut. In a succession of lyrical musings, various baby animals ask their respective parents, "Who is the world for?" Each receives the same reassuring response: "The world is for you!" but the parents embroider the reply with evidence uniquely tailored to their offsprings' experiences. A mother bear points out "deep dark caves/ for you to shelter in" and "spring rivers, shining in sunlight,/ shimmering with fish"; a father lion cites "high smooth rocks for you to bask on." The tale culminates with a boy asking his father the question, and the man incorporates the creatures that have preceded them, then responds with details all readers can relate to: a world with "parks for you to play in" and "hills for you to climb up high." Pow's glorious use of language evokes a familial intimacy: a baby whale moves at her mother's side "like a tugboat in the shadow of an ocean liner"; Arctic hares doze with their "slipper-soft babes in secret burrows of snow." The visual cadence of Ingpen's (The Dreamkeeper) artwork reflects the graceful nuances of the text. With the keen eye of a naturalist, the artist carefully avoids anthropomorphizing his subjects, while deftly communicating the parent-offspring bond. A lovely book with a subtle environmental message. Ages 4-up. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-A variety of youngsters, from a bear and a lion to an owl and a boy, ask their parents the title question. Each one receives a response that concludes with a message of interest to any species: "The world is for you!" Employing a palette dominated by subtle blues and browns, Ingpen's watercolor-and-pencil double-page spreads place the creatures in habitats around the globe. Author and illustrator have created a safe and aesthetically pleasing world, in the spirit of Marion Dane Bauer's If You Were Born a Kitten (S & S, 1997), although that title is much stronger linguistically. Pow's phrasing is awkward, and many of the long, rambling lines end with prepositions. While children will delight in the distinct personalities conveyed through the postures and expressions and the physical closeness of the parent and child duos, the total experience is marred by the less than elegant text.-Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 30 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens Hardbacks (November 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0744567793
• ISBN-13: 978-0744567793
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,503,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The world is for everyone!, March 22, 2001

By 

Sylvia (Welgemoed South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Who Is the World For? (Hardcover)

Beautiful pictures with poetic text, which needs to be read aloud slowly and savoured. Both my 3-year old and 7-year old love this book. They study the stunning illustrations in detail time and again and appreciate the message conveyed by the book - earth has a place for all living creatures.