THE WORLD SHINES FOR YOU

Grand in scale and ambition, this substantial board book is an exceptional example of the children’s book as art.

This extra-sturdy, eye-catching tour de force should fire young imaginations and leave children with a heightened sense of the splendor and immensity of the world around them. A simple poem places familiar items within their larger contexts in the natural world, threading seamlessly from one gorgeous scene to the next: “There is a tree // in the forest // there are leaves / on the wind // … // there are lights in the city // there are lights in the country // there are stars up above // and all the world shines for you.” Text and art are melded throughout, with words and images embossed in colorful foil here or overlaid with drifting leaves, clouds, sunshine, or starlight there. A stylized tree fills one page only to reappear as a small part of an intricate, two-page forest filled with trees, deer, bears, rabbits, and a rushing stream—a fully realized spectacle and ecosystem. Leaves, clouds, sunbeams, flowers, and stars overlay text that flows naturally from setting to setting. A multiracial cast of children, some in nontraditional gender roles, populate several panels. Artwork is clean, spectacular, and richly detailed throughout.

A visually rich and humbling feast of a book.