I love books that encourage kids to look at the world in a different way, and let their imagination soar. So I was excited when we got the chance to check out this new book that takes familiar plants, animals and insects and shows them in funny and surprising ways. My daughter loves the silliness in this story, so we paired it with some funny and colorful activities for kids. If you are interested in teaching kids to look at the world differently, I definitely recommend checking it out!

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In My World was written by Chuck Aardema and illustrated by Maria Ciaccio. This vibrantly colored book uses funny rhymes and outrageous illustrations to spark a child’s imagination. Each page shows familiar animals and scenes in new ways. The text is highlighted with different fonts, colors and sizes, adding to the engaging illustrations. Whether the cows are blue or the horses are crowing at the sun, there are lots of hilarious scenes that will have kids laughing along.

The author of this book had very big shoes to fill since his grandmother was a Caldecott winner. I had the opportunity to ask him some questions about what inspired him to create this fun book and the legacy that came before him.

What inspired you to write this book?

When my kids were young, I used to try and make them laugh by describing things we’d see differently than what was obvious to them. If we saw horses in a field, I would ask her to look at all the cows. School buses were never yellow… always something different. Sometimes they would laugh and other times they’d just roll their eyes. I thought at the time that it would make a cute story, and I wrote the first verse and that was it.

Fast forward to 2016 when our grandson Nolan was born. I decided if I was ever going to finish the story, that was the time to do it. I had no intention of it being a book – but I liked how it turned out and decided to go for it! Then I found my illustrator, Maria Ciaccio, through our family in Chicago. She did an amazing job and really brought the images to life. It was her idea to have Nolan’s image as the main child flying on the last page.

How did your grandmother’s Caldecott history inspire you to create your own children’s book?

I grew up in Michigan where my grandmother, Verna Aardema, taught 2nd grade for about 30 years. She started writing stories for her daughter (my aunt). She was inspired by African folk tales and published her first book in the early 1960’s. I grew up with her reading her books to me, and the idea of having a book of my own to read to my grandkids was pretty exciting. “Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears” was published in 1975 and was awarded the Caldecott in 1976. Her illustrators were Leo and Diane Dillon, who also received the Caldecott in 1977 – the only illustrators ever to go back-to-back.

What do you hope that kids (and parents) get from your book?

For parents, I think it’s fun to have a rhyming story with pictures you can talk about as you read. Every image raises fun questions that can be talked about with your kids. I also think there’s a message behind that idea that things that are different can also be fun. I like to think that kids have fun as well seeing things that inspire their imaginations with verses they can learn by heart the more often they read it.

Seeing the World

This book explores the concept of seeing the world in a different way. To further explore this, we decided to make our own sets of “glasses” to see the world through. To do this, we talked about what it is that we want to see more of in the world. For my daughter, this was “Disney magic”. For me, I want to see more love and light in the world.

Once we had a plan in mind, I cut a paper plate in half and cut out eye holes and a notch for the nose. We then used markers to draw on our masks. As she drew, she told me about the Disney princesses she was drawing. I covered mine with hearts in different sizes and a bright sun. Once we were finished drawing on them, we put them over our faces and imagined what the world would be like with more love and magic. It was a great way to start a conversation about how we see the world, and how we want to see it.

Colorful World

Encourage kids to tap into their own creativity with this fun activity inspired by the book. Provide kids with an array of art supplies and let them draw whatever they would like. But encourage them to change one crucial thing about their subjects. Maybe their fish walk on land instead of swim. Maybe their bears are purple and walk on their hind legs. The possibilities are endless. We found ourselves doing a lot of giggling while we drew fun and fantastical creatures.

Cloud Gazing

The fun part about this book is that it encourages the reader to look at the world in a different way. We can all see things a bit differently sometimes. This concept is easily introduced to kids through cloud gazing. When you lay on your back and look up at the clouds, what shapes do you see? While you may clearly see one thing, the person next to you may see something else entirely. Spend some time laying out on a blanket together while finding shapes in the sky. Pick one cloud and call out the different things that you see.

Related Post: Cloud Gazing Fun with The Cloud Book

What are your favorite books to teach kids about looking at the world differently? Share in the comments below!

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