Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

All the World

Rate this book
All the world is here.

It is there.

It is everywhere.

All the world is right where you are.

Now.

Following a circle of family and friends through the course of a day from morning till night, this book affirms the importance of all things great and small in our world, from the tiniest shell on the beach, to warm family connections, to the widest sunset sky

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 8, 2009

65 people are currently reading
3,777 people want to read

About the author

Liz Garton Scanlon

35 books186 followers
Liz Garton Scanlon is the author of numerous beloved books for young people, including the highly-acclaimed, Caldecott-honored picture book All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee, two novels for middle grade readers, and an upcoming chapter book series. Her many other picture books include the ones she's co-authored with Audrey Vernick, like Bob, Not Bob and World's Best Class Plant. Ms. Scanlon is also a poet, a teacher and a frequent & popular presenter at schools, libraries and conferences. She serves on the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in Austin, Texas.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
3,957 (50%)
4 stars
2,331 (29%)
3 stars
1,164 (14%)
2 stars
294 (3%)
1 star
110 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,000 reviews
Profile Image for Calista.
5,195 reviews31.3k followers
August 19, 2019

The artwork in this poem is beautiful. I love how the sky and the sea seem to roil and roll. This is more a poem than a story. It is little scenes of a family and things they do together and each thing they are doing seems to be all the world. It appears this family is on vacation together, possibly. It looks cozy.

The nephew just had a vacation to the beach and this story reminded him of some of those times. He went with 2 other families and they had a whole lot of fun together. He enjoyed that time together and this brought back those memories. He gave this 4 stars. The niece was also there. It didn’t really remind her of the beach, but she liked the feeling of the family spending the day together. Everyone is together and having fun and they are happy. She liked that feeling and she gave this story 4 stars too.

We have about 4 or so Caldecott books left.
Profile Image for Dream.M.
890 reviews438 followers
December 1, 2024
کتاب شعر اسپنیش که من ترجمه انگلیسیش رو خوندم
خود کتاب دو زبانه اس البته
هم شعر و هم نقاشی ها خیلی وایبر کلاسیک داره و فضای خانوادگی گرمی رو القا میکنه
Profile Image for Lisa Vegan.
2,869 reviews1,304 followers
February 12, 2010
The illustrations are beautiful, big and beautiful. The rhyme that makes up the story is excellent and the story expresses lovely sentiments about the world and about loved ones. The story of a (not perfect but wonderful) day with family, and maybe friends too, is told fully but with very few words. Made me a bit melancholy: those extended families look like fun! But, overall, it’s a very uplifting book. I could recommend this for children ages 2-8; it has wide appeal. Gorgeous and gift worthy.
Profile Image for Kelly.
Author 5 books8 followers
September 23, 2009
Here's what I know. There is no such thing as perfect. Really. But this picture book by my friend Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee comes close. Liz has written a marvelous poem, but one that's hard to picture. Marla has drawn a lovely narrative, but one that doesn't make complete sense on its own. Together, those slightly imperfect pieces make a perfect whole (or as nearly as is humanly possible to create).

As I said in my mention last week, All the World is a work of epic beauty inside a picture book package. I love this book for its size, its cover, its lime-green endpapers, its flap copy and author & illustrator info, its words and its pictures. I love it for its lyrical, song-like qualities, for its generosity of spirit, for being so simple and yet so terribly complex that a week later, I remain gobsmacked. I love it for its pictures that wind along the California coast, for its inclusiveness (mixed-race and same sex couples made me especially happy), for its ability to show that all the world is all of us.

I have heard this book described by others as an immediate classic and a book with Caldecott potential (boy do I agree - not that I have any influence over these things, but man!). Bloggers whom I know to be highly articulate were brought to their knees at the thought of talking about this book, because it is difficult to know how to do it justice. If you've experienced this book, I'm guessing that you know whereof I speak, and that you also want to do it justice (and quite possibly feel inadequate). This book is that good.

This is a book that sings to places in your soul and that manages to completely engage you whether you intended to be engaged by it or not. Perhaps you opened it to humor a friend or see what the fuss was about, but most likely by the you reached the end, you found tears in your eyes without having realized that you were becoming emotional. Most likely you realized midway through that Marla Frazee's illustrations were moving through a particular (imaginary, as it turns out) landscape, and you wanted to go back and look through it again to see how the "camera" flowed along. Most likely you felt changed, somehow - maybe in a quiet way, maybe in a profound way - like those of us who are middle-aged might have done for a brief moment when we first heard We Are the World or Do They Know It's Christmas?, or if we stood next to friends, neighbors and strangers holding hands for "Hands Across America", when something inside felt that upswell of realization of interconnectedness and good will - our own particular Ebenezer Scrooge moments, when the shackles and fetters drop off, if only for a moment, and we realize that life is good and we resolve to keep Christmas in our hearts every day. It is, in short, a revelation.

Go. Buy it. Whether you share it with the people in your life or hug it to your chest and remind yourself that there is good in the world and that we are all connected, this book will do you good.

If you're still on the fence, check out this review by Jama Rattigan (complete with gorgeous spreads and quotes) and this interview of Liz and Marla at 7-Imp, with backstory on the development of the illustrations and more spreads.
Profile Image for Lorellie.
792 reviews24 followers
October 22, 2024
Rhythmic and soothing. The art is very beautiful. Tot and I both enjoyed it. I would recommend it at any age.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
12k reviews470 followers
September 9, 2017
I actually prefer this Caldecott Honor to the winner of its year, The Lion and the Mouse. It's original, contemporary, and important, as our world gets more and more crowded with people who don't understand that we are all one global community and each of our choices affects multitudes of others. Would that we all lived as these people do, in harmony, with courage.

And besides, it's poetic, appealing, engaging, full of fun & funny details. I hope you all get a chance to read it!

Btw, I have enjoyed everything Frazee's worked on so far, and will continue to watch for more works by her.
Profile Image for Agnė.
787 reviews66 followers
December 17, 2017
4.5 out of 5

A lovely, heartwarming poem about all sorts of connections (though perhaps a bit human-centered for my liking, especially the last stanza).

Yet the best connection in this picturebook is between Liz Garton Scanlon’s text and GORGEOUS Marla Frazee’s illustrations:



Profile Image for Mir.
4,934 reviews5,272 followers
January 24, 2010
I was surprised that this was published so recently; it really reminded me of the earth-lovin' hippie kid books my parents' friends used to give me when I was small -- only updated so the people would be more in-fashion.

I'm not sure the short, rhyming text and illustrations went too well together. The pictures had lots of details that I wanted to spend more time examining, but then the rhythm of the poem was lost.

It's cute, though, and kids may enjoy looking at other families' daily activities.
Profile Image for Abigail.
7,646 reviews243 followers
February 29, 2020
With simple, rhyming text, that flows well, and keeps the reader's attention; and delightful pencil and watercolor illustrations that perfectly capture the fun of a day at the beach, or the warmth of a family evening around the piano - one can almost taste the salty sea air, hear the music filling the room - Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee's All the World would make a wonderful storybook for reading aloud!

"Rock, stone, pebble, sand / Body, shoulder; arm, hand / A moat to dig, / a shell to keep / All the world is wide and deep" it begins, following a diverse family - the mother is European-American, the father (possibly) African-American - as they go from seaside to farm market, from supper at a cozy cafe, to a musical gathering at home. Another family (possibly Latino?), with grandfather and three young children, explore a massive tree: "Tree, trunk, branch, crown / Climbing up and sitting down / Morning sun becomes noon-blue / All the world is old and new."

I liked the visual and narrative ambiguity of the this picture book, with two diverse families that could be related, or could just be friends. Or maybe "just" being friends is being related, as "All the world is all of us?" I also really liked that the diversity is taken for granted, that it is never explicitly commented upon, or made issue of in the narrative. Finally, I can see why this was named one of the top ten "Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2009" by The New York Times, and also why it was chosen as a Caldecott Honor Book. The artwork is simply gorgeous - so free and joyful, so completely alive! All the World is definitely a title that deserves all the accolades it has won!
Profile Image for Paula.
Author 2 books245 followers
November 20, 2009
One of the things I have always thought was odd about hard-line Waldorf School philosophy - and before you email me, let it be known that I have one marvelous little cousin and one fantastic grown-up niece who are Waldorf products, and I have no problem at all giving the Waldorfers some of the credit for how beautifully they have turned out so far - but as I said, one of the odder dicta of Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner, and he had a LOT of dicta, guy was just Mr. Ruley Rulemonger, and some schools are all like, "Yes SIR Mr. Steiner sir - we'll build our classrooms with NO CORNERS," and some schools, like my cousin's school in Hawaii, are all kind of like, "Oh yeah, but knitting? Oh, brah, it's hot here like, we don't really need knitwear. How about we teach em all how to juggle?" and that works for them.

But one of the Waldorf things is that there should be no shadows in a child's early life. And hence, there is no black crayon in the crayon box at a Waldorf school.

Actual review (as opposed to my Waldorf-inspired ramblings) on Pink Me: http://pinkme.typepad.com/pink-me/200...
Profile Image for amelia.
421 reviews8 followers
February 6, 2017
My favorite children's book I've encountered as a mother so far. The message is even more beautiful than the (lovely) illustrations.
Profile Image for Philip.
557 reviews827 followers
July 21, 2020
Illustrations: 5 stars
Story: 4.25 stars

Gorgeous, highly detailed, varied, full-page illustrations. Pleasant rhyming verse with a sweet message.
Profile Image for Jim Erekson.
603 reviews35 followers
May 5, 2016
This book blows me away. The debt Frazee owes to Virginia Lee Burton is deep. But this book made me think Burton had died and been reincarnated with a wisdom from looking at the intervening 45 years since her passing in 1968. The expansive double page spreads are up there with the best of Burton's compositions(Life Story is probably my favorite for this).

Once again, there is a kind of switching between complementary and counterpoint illustrations in this book that is unusual for today's author-illustrator pairings. Because Scanlon is from Austin, the West-coast small town look is obviously Frazee's, but it's a fascinating take on a text that probably wasn't envisioned with a coastal scene.

I was just as smitten by Scanlon's words, and had a hard time remembering that this book was made by two separate people. The abstractness of the poem reminds me of jump rope or hand clap rhymes where the purpose is not narrative, but rather rhythmic and symbolic.

Because I reviewed three of Frazee's books in just under two weeks, I'm just amazed by her work again. I can't wait for God Got a Dog to come out this year, another collaboration between Scanlon & Frazee!
Profile Image for Krista the Krazy Kataloguer.
3,873 reviews321 followers
August 20, 2010
No wonder this was a Caldecott honor book! The poem by Scanlon is beautiful--I wish they had printed the whole poem on one page at the end.
Frazee's pictures, done in colored pencil, are soft and lovely, describing a day on the seashore for several groups of people. In many of the scences, Frazee cleverly draws, way off in the distance, the next place that will be visited close-up in the succeeding pages. My favorite picture of all is that gorgeous 2-page spread, done in purple, gray, black and pale yellow, of sundown at the seaside. Beautiful and highly recommended!! I must have a copy of this for my personal collection.
Profile Image for Beverly.
5,820 reviews4 followers
September 7, 2017
The lovely poem has even lovelier paintings illustrating it. The large size of this book gives Frazee the ability to do several smaller vignettes, and interspersed with dramatic double-page spreads. Her black pencil and watercolor paintings not only ably illustrate the words of the poem, but extend them by following several families around. As one family leaves the shore, the reader can see in the distance the farmer's market they will soon be visiting. And at the farmer's market, the reader sees several people who will also show up in the following pages. Her use of color is brilliant, as the book goes from bright daylight to dark night. This book is a gem!
Profile Image for Adele.
1,039 reviews28 followers
March 5, 2019
I don't think the jaunty, simple, rhyming text works for the message of this book. Maybe I just was not in the right mood when I read it, because I didn't take the time to linger over the pictures and really absorb the meaning, but I feel like a different style of text could have done more to put me in the right mood.
Profile Image for Chinook.
2,327 reviews19 followers
November 13, 2017
I love, love, love this book. It’s so sweet and the illustrations are gorgeous. I love the message about exploring and appreciating all the different parts of the world.

Plus, I bought it at Baby Cotton Bottoms, so it brings fond memories of my favourite baby store.
Profile Image for Kasper.
361 reviews21 followers
June 6, 2018
Normally I don't rate story time books as I read so many each month, but my god this was so beautiful and I just adored it. I want to buy a copy for everyone I know. Actual story time was so-so on it, but it's not great for large crowds, I think. Perfect for small groups and families.
Profile Image for N.
914 reviews13 followers
October 15, 2014
I just threw up a rainbow
Profile Image for Alex Ward.
Author 10 books14 followers
July 22, 2017
Great illustrations, but I think the topic is so generic that it doesn't really have anything to say about anything?
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,633 reviews1 follower
November 18, 2023
Beautiful rhyming text, and wonderful illustrations. If I had younger kids, I'd add this one to my home collection, maybe reading it on rotation in our nightly bedtime reads. (Oh, how I miss those!) This book focuses on several families' outings and activities throughout the day, including a trip to the beach, gardening, a farmers' market, tree climbing, a rain storm, a meal at a café waiting out the rain, and a warm, cozy evening home with family and friends. The message: the world is made up of people—families and friends, communities—and experiences. The world is full of "hope and peace and love and trust." Rarely have I found a picture book that so seamlessly blends rhyming text and illustrations and meaning into such a beautiful and coherent whole.
1,082 reviews129 followers
September 12, 2020
This is a cute children’s picture book that is a poem about how people around the world have similarities and differences in their everyday lives.
Profile Image for Rachel.
644 reviews40 followers
December 25, 2020
Owen’s favorite book right now. And yeah, I’m logging the books I read to my infant son. Picture books are basically where I’m at okay.
Profile Image for Aniel.
206 reviews1 follower
October 31, 2024
me deu vontade de ter uma família unida igual no livro
Profile Image for Susann Williams.
204 reviews7 followers
July 15, 2019
I love beautifully illustrated books with a good message. This was that! My seven year old rated this book.
Profile Image for Luann.
1,299 reviews122 followers
April 26, 2011
I remember once when I was little having a discussion with a friend about whether "all the world" was bigger than "the whole wide world." I don't remember which one we finally decided was bigger, but I thought of that conversation as I read this great picture book by Liz Garton Scanlon. What does "all the world" mean? The concept may seem ultra-simple, but it is the type of thing some kids wonder about. I love the conclusion reached, that "All the world is everything / Everything is you and me / Hope and peace and love and trust / All the world is all of us."

I also love the illustrations! The soft yet vivid colors draw me in and say, "Spend some time here in "all the world!" So I did. And I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent there. It was fun to follow various sets of characters from the beach to the garden, through the rain to the cafe and then home. The book information says the illustrations were rendered in black Prismacolor pencil and watercolors on Strathmore 2-ply hotpress paper. I'm not sure what hotpress paper is, but I love what Marla Frazee does on it with some pencils and watercolors! This is definitely worthy of its 2010 Caldecott Honor.
Profile Image for Jayme Prisbell-Hultman.
57 reviews
Read
June 12, 2012
All the World, by Elizabeth Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee, is a picture book geared toward children (male and female)in grades K-2. This peaceful story begins with two kids digging at the beach. Rapidly through poetic form and rhythm the world opens to include family and friends. As the day evolves, lives begin to intertwine with one another allowing the reader to see the story travel from the beach to the market to the fields, churches, parks, restaurants, and back to the homes. Everything comes full circle at the end of the novel when the little girl from the beach stands smiling realizing what the phrase "everything is you and us ... all the world is all of us" truly means.

Children, teachers, parents, and librarians will appreciate the way the author and illustrator make detailed connections between all things (i.e. rocks; sand, food; fields, old; new) while keeping the story enjoyable, fresh, and comforting. With vivacious water colored scenes, 2011 Caldecott Honor medalist Marla Frazee brings compassion and depth to the pages of this book. Her paintings complement the writing of Scanlon's poetry making this one picture book children will enjoy.


Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,000 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.