Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer

Genre

This book is in the fiction genre.

Targeted Age Group

The intended age range for this book is 3-7 years old.

Summary

This book is about the experience of going on a walk and creatively questioning and marveling at the world around us.

Justification

I chose this book as a Caldecott medal winner. I also chose it because I love going on walks; it’s my primary form of getting outside, and it’s guaranteed that I’ll pause several times to look at trees, birds, flowers, and more. I love that there is a picture book about this very activity, and the joy expressed in the cover art sparked my intrigue. I was also interested in the use of collages to bring the art of this book to life, which seems to be a less-common medium for picture book art. I enjoyed this book, and it reminded me to think creatively about the world around me!

Evaluation

            In this section, I will evaluate the illustrations, style and language, and tone.

The illustrations in this book are done with collage, and masterfully portray the intricacies of nature, creating a sense of wonder for the reader on the literary wonder walk. Because of the collage format, the reader occasionally glimpses sheet music or a string of letters mixed into nature, which artistically comments on how nature is both poetic and musical. The collage medium also portrays the layers and depth of nature, and invites readers to peer closely at the patterns and colors that Archer mixes together to convey beaches, flowers, forests, and more. In that sense, the medium enhances the theme of the book, which is to creatively observe nature. Just as the two kids on their walk express wonder at everything around them, the readers of this picture book will express wonder at how the collages reflect the experience of wandering through nature: up close, there are many small parts that work to bring the world to life each day. From far away, the view is beautiful, bright, and picturesque. 

The language in this book also bolsters its theme. This picture book is almost entirely phrased in questions, which enhance the aspect of ‘wonder’. Questions such as “Is fog the river’s blanket”, and “Is the moon the world’s night-light” encourage the reader to consider the world in a creative and relatable way, much like the collages do (Archer, 2021, unpaged). In sync, the words and illustrations of this book create wonder both in an awe-inspiring way, and in a way that sparks curiosity—the action of wondering. Another example of language choice is the comparison of plant roots to toes: when presented with this idea, readers may find themselves stretching their own toes, grounding themselves as much as roots ground their plants (Archer, 2021). Overall, the language in this book encourages the reader to creatively ask questions about nature in a way that addresses the human and artistic aspects of nature, alongside the scientific parts.

Young et. al. (2020) describes tone as “the author’s attitude toward the subject or audience” (p. 21). Archer (2021) employs a trusting attitude towards the young audience of this book: that is, she trusts them to understand the message without being too straightforward about it. While employing complex art and asking questions, Archer (2021) doesn’t answer these questions for the audience. Rather, the main response to these questions is the phrase “I wonder” (Archer, 2021, unpaged). I believe this response fosters an overall creative and curious tone in this book, and also encourages the practice of being curious without having immediate answers at hand.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and found myself engaged with both the art and the text. Happy reading! 

References

Archer, M. (2021). Wonder Walkers, (M. Archer, Illus.). Nancy Paulsen Books.

Young, T. A., Bryan, G., Jacobs, J. S., Tunnel, M. O. (2020). Children’s literature, briefly. Pearson Education, Inc.