​Book Review: The World Needs The Wonder You See

The World Needs The Wonder You See is a picture book invitation to see the world through the lens of creativity, wonder and imagination. It’s a large format picture book with a paper-feel matt cover and indented title and is quite lovely. I found my copy at my local Dymocks bookstore and took it home for a quiet, slow read. ​

Joanna Gaines is the author and apparently she's a bit famous (I had no idea until I looked her up). In this book she writes a rhyming text that reads more as an affirmation or invitation than a classic beginning/middle/end type story. The rhyme isn't Lynley Dodd standard, but neither is is forced. I did feel some pages lacked a certain something. At the start of the book there's an author's note clearly explaining the author's intentions. The note addresses the child reader as ‘you’ and conveys Gaines' heart for the book: "May you never lose your curious spirit. May you never outgrow your sense of imagination."

Just as the book invites children to explore and pay attention to with world around then, the illustrations do the same. Each page spread is full colour to the edges and full of interesting details. From tadpoles to candle toting moles, there is something to spot and find in each and every picture. Julianna Swaney’s pictures are warm and inviting, depicting unique aspects of the various environments as well as introducing a playful imaginative tone. ​

It has been interesting reading this picture book while reading Timothy D. Willard’s The Beauty Chasers: Recapturing the wonder of the divine at the same time. Despite being for very different audiences, both books remind the reader of the importance of paying attention to beauty, especially the beauty of the outside world. I think The World Needs The Wonder You See would make a good conversation starter/value reinforcer for getting out in nature and sharing the ‘wonder’ we see with others. I'm not sure how the text would last as a 're-reader', but the illustrations will certainly invite kids back for another look. They are just lovely!

Let me know if you'd like to see a review of The Beauty Chasers and I'll do my best to put my thoughts into words about that one too. (SO many thoughts about that book. I absolutely loved it!)

All the details you need: 
Title: The World Needs The Wonder You See.
Written by: Joanna Gaines
Illustrated by: Julianna Swaney
Publisher: Magnolia Publications/Tommy Nelson
Available from your favourite bookseller (or Amazon if you can't make it to the store).