What a wonderful world

Hopgood interprets this beloved ballad, written by Thiele and Weiss and made famous by Louis Armstrong. His colorful mixed-media collages present a hopeful world, filled with summery trees, sunny blue skies, and pastoral scenes from around the globe. The protagonist is an unnamed child who tours the world on foot, by hot-air balloon, astride an elephant, and submerged under the sea. Sometimes he encounters other diverse children, but mostly he is alone with nature. Additionally, musical notes float across the spreads, signaling the text's musical origins. Although Hopgood appends the words to this song and a note about Armstrong's connection to it, no music or recording is included here. Libraries already using Ashley Bryan's What A Wonderful World (1995) which brings Armstrong into the text as children put on a puppet show for him may want to stick with it, but Hopgood's version makes an upbeat story hour selection, especially when paired with an Armstrong recording.--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2015 Booklist

PreS-Gr 2-As a tribute to a favorite song, made famous by Louis Armstrong, Hopgood has illustrated the lyrics in a candy-colored retro fashion reminiscent of the It's a Small World ride at Disneyland. Unlike Ashley Bryan's version, with its emphasis on multicultural community, this book features a lone, olive-skinned boy who bonds with nature. A blue bird accompanies him on his adventures among friendly animals, lovely landscapes, and just a few children of varying skin tones. Although a recording is not included, the pacing of page turns will work well when paired with Armstrong's singing. The large trim size evokes the generosity of spirit of the song itself. A solid addition to most collections.-Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.