IF THIS WERE THE WORLD

One schoolyard game proves bigger than its beginnings.

On the 138th day of school, the diverse students of Ms. Lee’s class discover that they’ve played every single recess game they can think of. Then Omeed takes an orange from his lunchbox and asks, “What if this…were THE WORLD?” This game starts off promisingly, but too soon the world has been devoured, and the children need another. Subsequent “worlds” include a ball, a tree, and then a series of objects that are “eaten up, crumpled away, blasted away, or busted.” Nothing’s quite right, since the world needs to be “something big,” “something easy to share,” and “something we won’t forget about.” Turns out the perfect thing is also the most obvious. The subtle message hiding in the creases of this philosophical tale encourages kids to remember and take good care of our actual world. This theme is subtly built into the specific ways the class treats each “world.” Meanwhile, oodles of details abound, like the individual personalities of the different kids in the class. Throughout, Ford’s art is electric, the colors seeming to vibrate off the characters into the atmosphere. The small speech balloons that appear only add to the charm and humor.

A truly original Earth Day book, certain to provoke laughter and discussion.