Our World is the gift to reintroduce them to the beauty of the planet
Our introduction to geography for young children is one of our better books for a better year ahead. Give someone you love a copy!
Over the past year, few of us have had as much chance to travel as we’d like. That’s a minor problem for many adults, but it’s a slightly more serious impediment for younger vacationers, who’ve been unable to learn and discover so much about our beautiful planet by venturing off to different lands. 2021 looks as if it’s going to offer us quite a few more opportunities for globetrotting, and chances to understand the geographical variety that exists from continent to continent. And that’s where Our World comes in.
The book is a simple, yet accurate and detailed read-aloud introduction to geography for young children that, when opened and folded back, creates a freestanding globe. Moving from environment to environment, the book guides children aged two to five through the glories and wonders of our planet.
The award-winning children’s author Sue Lowell Gallion has written both a brief, rhyming poem to lead very young children from page to page, as well as longer, more detailed text for each page, explaining why, for example rainforests are called rainforests, or the difference between fresh water and sea water. There are enough facts to set young minds wondering about what kinds of lands lie beyond their hometown, yet it’s still uncomplicated enough to introduce the concept and beauty of geographical variation to preschoolers.
Much of that beauty is captured in Lisk Feng’s images. This Chinese-born, New York-based illustrator has contributed to the New York Times, Esquire and the Boston Globe, and produced images for HSBC, Chanel and Airbnb. Her pictures for Our World evoke the variation and majesty of African savannas, South American rainforests and the ice caps of the arctic, while also imbuing Our World with a childlike sense of discovery.
Together, Feng and Gallion give children the best introduction to geography you could possibly add to a child’s bookshelf. However, Our World’s place in our world isn’t limited to the bookcase. This title also folds out into a freestanding globe, to offer children a three-dimensional reminder of our incredibly varied planet, and perhaps inspiration for trips they might like to take in later life.
“Developmentally, a child’s understanding of the world around them explodes between birth and kindergarten and I hope this book contributes to that knowledge and inspires wonder, curiosity and a sense of stewardship,” says Gallion. “The contents partly mirror an atlas: physical geography, habitats, climate, Earth’s place in space, and the essential and fragile environment that supports life on Earth. Perhaps it will prompt families and educators to identify locations on actual globes as part of learning about mapping and place – and to present how interconnected we are, no matter where we live.”
In 2021, it might prompt a vacation or two. It's certainly impressed a number of high profile publications. The Washington Post calls the book a “beautifully illustrated geographical primer", while The Financial Times says its “a superior picture book.” To find out more and order your copy go here.