The World Is Waiting for You
(Barbara Kerley Photo Inspirations)

As she did in One World, One Day, Kerley pairs lean prose with exquisite photographs (many from National Geographic's archives) in this exuberant celebration of the boundless possibilities life holds for children. As in the earlier book, smaller versions of the photos also appear at book's end, annotated with information about the activities and locations depicted, as well as comments from the photographers. Kerley uses two visual narratives to encourage readers to explore the world around them. Photographs of children involved in outdoor activities alternate with thematically linked images of scientists and adventurers. A photograph of a child playing under a waterfall in Bali ("Make a splash. Get a little too wet") is followed by a shot of oceanographer Sylvia Earle diving with dolphins near the Bahamas ("Dive in"); an image of a girl standing on a Florida beach ("face the wind...") leads into a shot of a biologist/photographer paragliding over Patagonia (."..and soar"). Whether portraying an everyday activity or an extraordinary feat of science and exploration, the daring photographs and invigorating text aim to inspire--and succeed. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Gr 1-6--In celebration of its 125th anniversary, National Geographic presents a series of outstanding photographic images-explorers and future explorers in eye-opening close-ups and dramatic panoramic vistas-that encourage and challenge youngsters to discover the world around them. Simple sentences and highlighted text in a large font ask readers, "what if?...why not?" and offer the instruction to "get your hands dirty" and investigate. Cloud-filled skies on endpapers frame the text and pictures. As in the print magazine, additional pages fill in the details of adventure shots with quotations and identification of sites. Photography enthusiasts will not be disappointed as illustrations range from the unique to the adventurous. Explorers are shown in a cave of giant crystals, dangling from cliff's edge in California, spacewalking outside the International Space Station, and shooting class-five rapids on the Shoshone River, Wyoming. This gorgeous, inspirational title urges readers forward. "Ready. Set. Go."--Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX