Who Is the World For?

When asked by their young, various animal parents describe the world from their own perspective--as does a father to his young son--in a lyrical and visually stunning meditation on the earth and its creatures.

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.

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.

Ages. 4-8. Little ones ask their parents, "Who is the world for?" Various parents view the world from their own perspectives. The mother bear describes the rivers and forests; the father lion talks about grassy plains; the mother whale teaches her baby about the deep, roomy sea. The small boy nestled against his father also receives a loving explanation. The father offers gentle reassurance that the world is for all to share and explore together. The naturalistic illustrations have a texture and glowing golden light that are ideal for this lovely poem, which asks us to slow down, ponder the imagery, and savor time together. Shelley Townsend-Hudson
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