WORLD OF WONDERS

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2002. A WORLD OF WONDERS. Ill. by Alison Jay. New York: Dial Books. ISBN: 0-8037-2579-5

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In this charming book of poetry, J. Lewis has created a unique, flowing, and clever collection of poems that introduce and describe many wonderful geographical locations, events, and phenomenon such as the aurora borealis. These short poems take the reader on an adventure around the world through rhythmic discovery and beautiful illustrations. This book is a unique way of introducing young people to some of the wonders of the world.

 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The illustrations used by Alison Jay throughout this book are eye catching and give the impression of the reader being there in person with a bird’s eye view. At the very beginning of the book there are two kids seen flying over the earth on a giant flying book as if they are in a fairytale with a magic carpet.

Each poem is about traveling and discovering different wonders from around the world and also introduces great explorers and their world changing discoveries. In “On Top of the World” Lewis creatively describes the journey of the first men to climb Mount Everest. Lewis uses facts about the location to play into his poems, “Five miles from earth, they set up camp. A vicious wind tore at their tent.” These details are so helpful to young readers who have never visited these sites.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “Ranging from free verse to rhymes and riddles, the 26 witty selections muse about the exploits of explorers, play with geographical words and concepts, and extol the wonders of disparate locals.”

THE HORN BOOK MAGAZINE review: “Allison Jays illustrations are witty yet understated in color so that they complement rather than compete with the subject.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Have children pick their favorite topic, place, or person related to geography and have them create their own unique poem about their chosen topic.

*Other books of poetry for young readers:

Cowan, Mark. POEMS FOR THE GEOGRAPHY CLASSROOM. ISBN 978-1905637645