ZOOM to South America- No Digital Devices Required

Amicus Ink 2020

In my opinion, and that's what I offer here, there are too few picture books published for the "American" market that are set in South America. The fact that most of us in the USA treat the word AMERICAN as if it applies only to our country is an important reason to check out this new picture book. Our culture offers very little space for really learning about our continental neighbor to the south, and what most of us do "know" is stereotypical, or simplistic, or just plain wrong. 

A TINY BROWN MONKEY ON THE BIG BLUE EARTH is written by Tory Christie and illustrated by Lucianna Navarro Powell. This book is a welcome ZOOM experience (and I don't mean video-conferencing). The tiny brown monkey zooms in for a close-up view from monkey's multiple perspectives within the Serra dos Orgaos National Park in Brazil. In the successive pages, zooming out a bit at a time, readers follow a jungle trail into a smaller village (Town of Guapimirim). There the reader observes a crowded bus, zooming out further to continue through increasingly populated areas until reaching the City of Rio de Janeiro. 

Along the way the saturated and textured illustrations are a feast for the eyes. The detailed images offer a challenge to curious readers to identify various animal and plant life. Once the perspective reaches the vibrant and illuminated city, perched on the brink of the Atlantic Ocean, readers are launched into a starry sky that reveals how vast and beautiful this planet is as it swirls through space. 

It is more important than ever to expand our knowledge and appreciation for our endangered planet, for our continental neighbors and their complex societies and resources, and the place within this world for ourselves and for tiny brown monkeys, and every form of animal, vegetable, and mineral on land and in the sea. That goal may be a stretch for adults who have already prioritized what "matters" or merits their attention, but this book is a delightful way to engage the youngest among us on a lifetime of curiosity, appreciation, and respect.

By the way, I was able to include those labels of the national park and village and city because the Brazilian illustrator incorporated fantastic endpapers with labeled “map pins” marking the most important locations referenced in the story. The continental land mass illustration incorporates some basic geologic markers, too, making this an appealing introduction to map reading and geography study. 

Did I mention what a cutie that tiny brown monkey is?

I received a copy of this new picture book from Amicus Ink to consider for review, with no promises. I gave it a close look because I've been a fan of the several categories of Amicus books since they launched, and recently reviewed another fine story from this imprint, EXTRAORDINARY, ORDINARY ELLA. Check it out, HERE.

I'm looking forward to what is next in their planning for picture books. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, enjoy this glorious picture book ZOOM visit to an amazingly beautiful patch of our big blue planet.