Where in the World Are You?
by Marie G. Rohde ; illus. by the author
Preschool    What on Earth    48 pp.       g
9/22     978-1-913750-76-3     $17.99

Rohde constructs a vibrant exploration of place beginning with a simple question and answer: “Where is the cat? Under the wobbly table.” The ­wobbly table sits on the blue rug, and the blue rug is in the yellow room. The black cat makes its way out of the yellow room and past the green door into the colorful apartment. But the book continues: “Where is the colorful apartment? In the pink house.” Beyond that colorful apartment in the pink house, the cat and its people make their way into the cheerful street filled with a diverse array of ­children and grownups. The (­color-coded) text proceeds in the initial Q&A format as the story zooms out—into the continent, the planet, the galaxy—but not without some appropriately feline mischief. Rohde’s background in architecture is reflected in the eye-catching, color-blocked, and decidedly two-dimensional cityscapes. This engaging read-aloud opens the door for a number of classroom opportunities—adjectives, prepositions, ­mapmaking!—but its real power lies in stimulating a child’s wonder and awe at the ever-expanding universe that surrounds us.

From the November/December 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.