All the World

Title: All the World

Author: Liz Scanlon

Illustrator:  Marla Frazee

Publishing Company:  Beach Lane Books

Copyright Date:  2009

Number of pages: 40

Genre: Multicultural

          I chose this book because of the pictures.  Then I realized what a sweet little story about family time.  No matter what culture you are from family time is still time spent together.  It is special time for everyone no matter what part of the world you are from.  In this story we follow a family from the islands as they spend a day together at the beach and going into town.  They are not doing anything spectacular, but they are doing it together.  This story highlights the fact that family time is the same all around the world; hence, the title of the book.

          The illustrations in this book are made with prisma-black pencil and watercolors.  The pictures are vivid and bright.  They create a warm and inviting feel to the book.  The text layout is informal on most pages.  The words are over top of the pictures.  On a few of the pages the words surround the pictures.  There is very little negative space; the only exception is when the illustrator and author use the negative space to help the story flow. (i.e. when the family is going to the beach or to town)

          This book is suitable for any elementary aged students and children.  It is recommended for ages 5-7 years old.  I would use this book as a motivator for

camaraderie in the classroom.  I would use this book to introduce other areas of the world in a social studies lesson.  I might even use this for rhyming or introducing the use of couplets in poems.  This story has both of those aspects in the text.  This book has received the Caldecott Medal.