Book Title: No World Too Big

Edited by: Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila H. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley

Illustrations: Jeanette Bradley

Publisher & Year: Charlesbridge, 2023

Intended Age: Ages 7-11

Topic/Themes: Youth Activists, Climate Change, Poetry

Opening Stanza: (Paris Agreement Found Poem by Lindsay Metcalf):

Guided by
the need for
a just transition,
humankind
should     respect
the rights of
Mother Earth

Synopsis: 12 young activists and 3 activist groups harness their power to fight climate change. Each two-page spread, with engaging painted illustrations by Jeanette Bradley, tells the story of an activist or organization with a poem and a paragraph of expository text. Specific suggestions for actions to combat climate change are also included.

What I love about this book: This is a book to savor. It is so inspiring to learn about young people across the globe making a difference. The actionable suggestions were thoughtful, as were the choices each poet made about poetic forms. I absolutely loved Lindsay H. Metcalf’s inspired choice to create a found poem from the text of the United Nations “Paris Agreement” and enjoyed making connections between other poet’s poetic form choices and their content matter.

Activities/Resources:

Before Reading: Show students the cover and title. Ask students to make predictions about book. What does it mean to fight climate change? Why do the children appear to be holding up our world?

Reading: Consider reading one two-page spread per day and then having a discussion and student activity.

Writing: Using this book as a mentor text, research climate activists and have students create their own two-page spreads featuring a poem, illustration, expository paragraph, and a caption with a suggestion the reader could take.

Reflections: This book is a companion book for NO VOICE TOO SMALL, which I am eager to read! Here’s a link to a joint activity guide from the publisher: 
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0750/0101/files/no-world-too-big-no-voice-too-small-activity-kit.pdf?v=1669668895

I also loved how there was a range of poetic forms in the book and would love to hear about the thought process each poet used in deciding upon what form to use. After the glossary, there is an explanation of the poetry forms and a brief biography and website information for each poet.

I bought this book at the wonderful WE ARE ALL READERS Book Festival in Rhode island on April 1, 2023.

This review is part of PPBF (Perfect Picture Book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books. Organized and curated by author Susanna Leonard Hill, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. #PPBF

Thanks for stopping by ! Have you read this book? Let me know in the comments. Also, looking to read more eco-inspired poetry, if you have any recommendations.