Everything & Everywhere: A Fact-Filled Adventure for Curious Globe-Trotters by Marc Martin

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Everything & Everywhere: A Fact-Filled Adventure for Curious Globe-Trotters 
by Marc Martin
Review copy from Chronicle Books
Martin, author of the stunning picture book A River, brings fifteen fantastic locales to the page with marvelous watercolors that focus on fascinating facets of each place, most of which are cities, with Antarctica, Alice Springs, the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon Rainforest representing the natural world. The book doesn't quite go everywhere as promised in the title (the UK title for this book is LOTS), but it absolutely lives up to its name in every other way, especially when it comes to curiosity.
Endpapers feature a map of the world showing the destinations visited and ending with the whole world at night, with all the lights on. An author's note perfectly captures the spirit of this book, asking readers, "How many cats live in Cairo? How many languages are spoken in New York? What is pylsusinnep?" Martin's curiosity explodes of the page and inspires readers. In my library, we like to choose a page, pore over the facts, then find a video clip about it,  giving my students an even deeper understanding. From Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo to the metro stations of Moscow, we have been doing some great armchair traveling!




Martin's illustrations are instantly engaging and he has a true talent for finding fun facts that kids will be interested in and want to know more about. From double decker trams in Hong Kong to a lobster vending machine in Tokyo, gers in Ulaan Baatar and the Selarón Steps in Rio de Janero that are made from more than 2,000 tiles from over sixty countries, Martin highlights details that make each place unique. Martin doesn't shy away from the grittier aspects of each location also, like the estimated 35,000 stray dogs in Moscow or the ten tons of dog poop left on the streets of Paris every day. Pizza rat even makes an appearance!  




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