A SPEEDY LITTLE CHEETAH ON THE BIG BLUE EARTH

The fourth entry in a series designed to introduce geographical awareness begins in a tuft of tall Serengeti grass and expands outward from there.

Elevating the view as it goes, this perspective broadener invites viewers to join a trio of bright-eyed young cheetahs chasing a gazelle over a grassy plain, then to peer over distant hills to examine a neatly laid out city bustling with traffic and brown-skinned shoppers. From there, a glimpse of a smaller village leads to overviews of herds of zebras and other wildlife streaming through a wide valley as they embark on their annual migration. The African continent swims into view on subsequent page turns—first topologically, though with animal herds still visible in its western parts, and finally with map pins and a small number of political and geographical labels. Christie caps her brief narrative with notes on the Great Migration and some of its animals. The step-by-step progression from local to cosmic is at times a little choppy; still, Powell gives her art engaging senses of depth and motion, and on the whole, this tale and its companion volumes demonstrate that there’s more to our planetary home than one’s immediate neighborhood. Readers are sure to appreciate this engaging food for thought.

Good first steps toward fostering understanding of a vital notion.