HOW BIG IS THE WORLD?

When Little Mole asks the title question, Papa’s reply is, “Why don’t you go and find out?” Thus begins an odyssey. A spider, a mouse, a horse and a seagull help the Little Mole get to a whale, who really speeds up the process. Riding on the whale’s massive back, Little Mole gets to see a vast desert, a tall city, huge mountains, wild jungles, thick forests and “many colorful creatures.” Teckentrup uses her premise to display a vibrantly varied palette, as the whale takes the Little Mole from a red night sky that makes the ocean look black, through another pocked with silver stars and finally benign blue-green waters. Upon returning home, Little Mole learns that Papa has a wise answer to the question after all, one that should delight readers. Brisk, bright and packed with age-appropriate information. (Picture book. 2-6)