School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-Walker celebrates the beauty of the world and our connection to it through a series of short verses that praise the senses, e.g., "There is an ocean/At the top/Of my/Head/Swimming me." Her use of the seeing, smelling, praising, dancing, etc., at the end of each verse accents and emphasizes human bonds to the world and the arts. Vitale's vibrant, jewel-toned illustrations embolden the folk-art simplicity of each verse. A singer's body merges as one with an instrument. The serene gaze of a star-flecked girl penetrates a cloud-filled night sky. Poetic in its appeal, the artistry of text with illustration highlights the depth of emotion and joyfulness found in the book's pages. Artistically stunning.-Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Walker shares a vision of oneness with the world in this evocative picture book filled with centering imagery. "There is a road/ At the bottom/ Of my/ Foot/ Walking me," reads one passage that's emblematic of the reverse perspective on display, through which flowers smell, sky sees, ocean swims, and rain tastes the narrator. Monyei's bold graphics employ flatly colored visuals of a Black-presenting child in a pink top who sniffs an oversize coral-colored flower, gazes at a smiling moon atop a city skyline, swims among fish and a whale, and stands, tongue out, in the rain. While initial sensory-based examples emphasize nature, later passages shift to the artistic: "There is a poem/ In the cradle/ Of my Soul/ Rocking me." Walker's rich poetic conceit juxtaposes with Monyei's spare aesthetic; working in concert, text and image build to a conclusion that neatly invites the reader to feel connected by embracing the experiential. Ages 4--8. (June)
