All the World

A beautifully illustrated book that touches on the simple pleasures of life. A joy to read. Delightful to explore. You can follow different characters through the book and engage with it through each person’s lens. One of my favorite books to read with my son, from when he was born, to now when he’s two, and I’m sure far into the future. Reading books is an easy way to instill observations and appreciation of the simple delights in life, and this book is one of my very favorite for doing just that.

It's a sweet book, but it never really resonated with my toddler. Maybe when she's older

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.

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...