With just a brief line of text per page, Fitzgerald's (Emily's House)
neatly designed square volume helps children better understand how they relate to the world. The narrative begins with broad strokes and moves to the specific: "In the world there is a country. In that country there is a city. In that city there is a neighborhood." Eventually readers meet a child under his or her bedcovers sleeping alongside a cat and dog. The child wakes and prepares for the day, then moves into ever larger surroundings to the staccato beat of the text: "Blanket on the bed. Bed in the room. Room in the house. House in the yard." The child plays outside with a friend, travels down the street, through the neighborhood and into the city, at which point Fitzgerald's single-page framed images pan further outward in full-spread paintings that reverse the original order. In the closing scenes, the child stares out the window, exclaiming, "This is me and where I am! Where are you?" Fitzgerald's artwork creates a safe and comfortable realm for both the featured child and readers. At first, Earth can be seen from space, contained in a small box. As the book's first half moves toward more familiar environments (the child's street, home and room), the illustrations zoom in. Then when the child's world widens at the end, Fitzgerald keeps the illustrations large, underscoring the idea that with familiarity, the world need not be so intimidating. Ages 3-6. (Oct.)
