Reviews for In my world
Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
"The world is made of things I like," Ehlert (Waiting For Wings, 2001, etc.) begins, then proceeds to elaborate: "creeping bugs, wiggling worms," frogs and fruit, flowers and rain, sun and moon. From the hand in the front cover to the constellations at the end, all of these natural forms are depicted as die-cut holes in stiff, brightly monochromatic stock, their cumulative overlaps filling the empty middles with dazzling abstractions of shape and color that change with each turn of the page. Though the holes are so large, and the margins so narrow, that tears are inevitable, this brilliant symphony in form and color provides a rich visual experience, enhanced by a large type, rebus-strewn blurb filling the rear endpapers. Despite the design problem, and a superfluous text, this gifted graphic artist is in top form here. (Picture book. 3-8)
Publishers Weekly
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According to PW, "Ehlert's work enters the realm of the abstract, suggesting the interconnectedness of nature through a complex blend of shapes, colors and images." All ages. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Publishers Weekly
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Unlike her past efforts such as Color Zoo and Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On, which demonstrated the concrete concepts of shape and number respectively, Ehlert's latest work enters the realm of the abstract, suggesting the interconnectedness of nature through a complex blend of shapes, colors and images. The deep-blue cover with a die-cut child-sized hand hints at hidden bounty: "My world is made of things I like," reads the opening. Above, large and small circular cutouts represent Earth, moon and stars. Ehlert goes on to show "creeping bugs," "leaping frogs" and "singing birds"; each action provides a clue, the turn of a page supplies the creature it describes. Layered on top of one another, each cutout contains elements of the others. Unfortunately, the sometimes unharmonious arrangements within the cut-out shapes compromise their integrity, making many of them difficult to identify. Successful standouts, such as the "butterfly," "pear" and "leaf," for example, offer a symmetrical presentation, helping young readers to predict the word on the next page. A rebus poem, which incorporates images from the book, fills the final spread. All ages. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
PreS-Gr 1-Here Ehlert employs the same technique (bold-colored die cuts) that she used in her Color Farm (1990) and Color Zoo (1989, both HarperCollins). She starts out with the sentence "My world is made of things I like." A globelike circle reveals an inviting array of colors and shapes. With each succeeding page, complete with a single cutout, the artist then goes on to demonstrate the things she likes in nature: a creeping bug, a leaping frog, drifting seashells, growing fruit, etc. Depth of design is executed by means of page overlays, so that the pictures build on one another, and some images are more successful than others. A few of the overlapping items are not immediately clear and may cause confusion. The concluding double-page endpaper reintroduces all of the words in a rebus format, emphasizing how important it is to love nature. But, all in all, this book is more of an engineering feat than an effective depiction of the interconnectedness of all living things.-Rachel Fox, Port Washington Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Eighteen easily recognized die-cut shapes (bird, fish, leaf) are superimposed to create ever-evolving patterns, composed from areas of contrasting colors as seen through the pages. The title concept evolves: My world is made of things I like, each introduced with a verb; the name follows on the verso. The visual logic is problematic; still, the vibrant colors and 3-D effects may inspire children to experiment with overlaying patterns and colors. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
