One World

Reading Age: 5-6 years

Two children playing at the beach scoop up a clear bucket of water in which they observe sand, seaweed, shells, pebbles, shrimp, and fish, as well as litter and oil, the debris of human society.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-- This book looks and reads like a picture book, and is by a well-known and respected picture-book creator. However, its theme of the parallels between the microenvironment at our feet and that of the entire planet seem well beyond the grasp of that readership. The story is slight: a girl and boy at the beach try to make a little world in their sandpail with the sea plants and creatures they take from a rock pool. Suddenly aware of the damage they are doing, they return the collection to the water, clearing up a bit of litter and spilled oil as they go. The illustrations are in Foreman's familiar style--his distinctive watercolors shine from each page, and the blues and yellows are particularly eye-catching. His depiction of the children and the life of the seashore is accurate yet lyrical, with several interesting shifts in perspective. The little girl, refreshingly, is definitely the leader. The cause is worthwhile--royalties are being donated to Friends of the Earth. However, young children are unlikely to understand Foreman's point--how many of them will understand a connection between a depleted rock pool and the destruction of rain forests? A final line--"And that world, too, they held in their hands"--imposes an unfair burden of guilt on young shoulders. While adults want to encourage an interest and (eventually) an involvement in the environment, this is not necessarily the way to do it. The book may be useful as a discussion starter with older children, if they are not put off by its format. --Barbara Hutcheson, Greater Victoria Public Library, B.C., Canada
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.