Flora loves making maps of everything: her house, the route she takes to school, even the hallway between hers and her brother’s room to figure out how she can reach the bathroom before him in the mornings. Throughout the book, Flora shows the readers her maps and teaches them important terms for reading real-world maps, like route, legend, scale, and landmark.
[alert variation=”alert-info”]Publisher: Magination Press
Formats: Hardcover
Purchase: Powell’s | Amazon | IndieBound[/alert]
Kids are fascinated with maps, and for many the fascination continues on into adulthood—look at Ken Jennings’ 2011 book Maphead, of which Mapping My Day is almost an elementary-age version. Something about the miniature worlds created on the page help children to understand the bigger, more inscrutable world around them. Flora’s map making exercises will inspire kids to map their own lives, while also teaching them valuable spatial skills.
In addition to being a great brain-exercising book, Mapping My Day is also lovely to look at, thanks to the illustrations by Laura Wood. The art is simple, descriptive, and full of color – just like the maps that Flora makes – and with lots of humor and charm (pay attention to Flora’s little brother in the backgrounds of scenes as he plots to steal her hair bows). This book will make learning fun and fascinating for kids, and the thinking and visualizing skills they will pick up will be invaluable.
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