World So Wide

Striking a resonant chord that is at once intimate and universal, McGhee (Someday) gently explores evergreen picture book turf as a couple welcomes their first child. While softly focused, crayonlike art, created digitally by Alizadeh (Quiet!), portrays the parents—together and individually—with their newborn, the third-person narrative broadens the scope of the story beyond them: “Somewhere in the world/ the world so far/ the world so wide/ someone is the/ youngest person alive. Picture them/ just opening their eyes.” After a lyrical imagining of what an infant might first see, hear, smell, and touch, the voice and tense of the text shift as the parents, addressing their child personally, look back on some firsts and envision “some far-off day” when “the newest person in the world/ will open their eyes to see/ a grown-up you smiling back at them.” Incorporating imagery from the natural world, Alizadeh’s breezy illustrations are pleasingly attuned to the author’s spontaneous verse as both reveal the marvel—and regeneration—of human life. Ages 4–7. [em](Feb.) [/em]