What do you think?
Rate this book
How I Learned Geography
Having fled from war in their troubled homeland, a boy and his family are living in poverty in a strange country. Food is scarce, so when the boy's father brings home a map instead of bread for supper, at first the boy is furious. But when the map is hung on the wall, it floods their cheerless room with color. As the boy studies its every detail, he is transported to exotic places without ever leaving the room, and he eventually comes to realize that the map feeds him in a way that bread never could.
The award-winning artist's most personal work to date is based on his childhood memories of World War II and features stunning illustrations that celebrate the power of imagination. An author's note includes a brief description of his family's experience, two of his early drawings, and the only surviving photograph of himself from that time.
How I Learned Geography is a 2009 Caldecott Honor Book and a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
The award-winning artist's most personal work to date is based on his childhood memories of World War II and features stunning illustrations that celebrate the power of imagination. An author's note includes a brief description of his family's experience, two of his early drawings, and the only surviving photograph of himself from that time.
How I Learned Geography is a 2009 Caldecott Honor Book and a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2008
17 people are currently reading
2,195 people want to read
About the author
Uri Shulevitz
54Ìýbooks100ÌýfollowersUri Shulevitz was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He won the 1969 Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration, recognizing The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship, an Eastern European fairy tale retold by Arthur Ransome in 1916.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 410 reviews
August 17, 2019
This little story is basically a memory the author is sharing with us when his family fled Poland for Turkestan during WWII. They were very hungry and his father couldn’t afford bread, but he got this giant world map. The family was very angry with him, but then Uri found that he could get lost in the new places on the map and forget his hunger. He studied the map and drew the map and dreamed of the map.
We see different places in this story and the artwork mirrors the culture he is showing us. It is a lovely little story the author goes through. I enjoyed learning about geography too. I have forgotten many of the smaller countries, but at one time, I knew where all the 200 countries were. Now, I remember most of them or at least their general area. Maps are interesting and they represent a whole culture and idea.
The niece thought this beginning book was fascinating to see different places and hear about this author’s stories and how he lost his home. He moved around in several countries. The niece gave this 3 stars. The nephew enjoyed the kids mental trip to different places and he said traveling would be better if you could get there that fast. He thought the book was a little boring and gave this 2 stars.
We see different places in this story and the artwork mirrors the culture he is showing us. It is a lovely little story the author goes through. I enjoyed learning about geography too. I have forgotten many of the smaller countries, but at one time, I knew where all the 200 countries were. Now, I remember most of them or at least their general area. Maps are interesting and they represent a whole culture and idea.
The niece thought this beginning book was fascinating to see different places and hear about this author’s stories and how he lost his home. He moved around in several countries. The niece gave this 3 stars. The nephew enjoyed the kids mental trip to different places and he said traveling would be better if you could get there that fast. He thought the book was a little boring and gave this 2 stars.
February 15, 2022
A moving and emotionally affecting story (based on Uri Shulewitz's own boyhood, his family's escape from Nazi-occupied Poland to Central Asia), How I Learned Geography not only poignantly demonstrates the ravages of war, of being a refugee with scant resources for food and other basic necessities many of us take for granted, the book also shows how one special object (in this case, a map of the world that the young boy's father buys instead of purchasing bread) can make a terrible, inhumane reality more tolerable. And while at first glance, said map might be regarded as a frivolously foolish purchase, as the young boy's father explains, he had just enough money to buy a very tiny piece of bread, which would have partially nourished the family, but only for a day, or a night at the most. On the other hand, the map the father has purchased soon floods the family's small, desolate room with colour and vision, encouraging imagination, learning, a sense of escapism, making the harsh reality of the present more livable. While the bread would only have provided temporary nourishment of the body, the map lastingly nourishes the soul, providing both solace and a sense of lasting, healing wonder.
Like my GR friend Lisa, I would also not really suggest reading How I Learned Geography when hungry, although my reaction (when I read the book on a very empty stomach) was a bit different from hers. For I never wished that the father had bought bread instead of the map, but I did feel quite livid at the couple who shared the family's hut (at not sharing their food, but more specifically, at the way the husband eats with such enthusiasm, seemingly rubbing it in that the young boy and his family have to go without any and all supper).
Uri Shulevitz's illustrations are bright and evocative, and while on their own, they would likely not be altogether to my taste, the illustrations work wonderfully well with the text, the narrative, both mirroring and expanding the latter. My personal favourite is the picture where the boy seems to soar above the world map, being transported to explore deserts, beaches, mountains, encountering the richness and diversity of the world, of the earth, armed only with a large world map and the power of his imagination (and I can in all ways both appreciate and applaud Uri Shulewitz' Caldecott Honour designstion for How I Learned Geography).
Although the narrative is simply told, and easy to understand, I would not necessarily recommend this excellent picture book for very young children, as some of the themes presented (war, hunger, being a refugee) are rather heavy and potentially traumatic. I think that a good age group would be children from about ages five to eight, although even older children would likely enjoy and appreciate How I Learned Geography, especially if reading the book were accompanied by discussions on and about some of the issues mentioned above.
Like my GR friend Lisa, I would also not really suggest reading How I Learned Geography when hungry, although my reaction (when I read the book on a very empty stomach) was a bit different from hers. For I never wished that the father had bought bread instead of the map, but I did feel quite livid at the couple who shared the family's hut (at not sharing their food, but more specifically, at the way the husband eats with such enthusiasm, seemingly rubbing it in that the young boy and his family have to go without any and all supper).
Uri Shulevitz's illustrations are bright and evocative, and while on their own, they would likely not be altogether to my taste, the illustrations work wonderfully well with the text, the narrative, both mirroring and expanding the latter. My personal favourite is the picture where the boy seems to soar above the world map, being transported to explore deserts, beaches, mountains, encountering the richness and diversity of the world, of the earth, armed only with a large world map and the power of his imagination (and I can in all ways both appreciate and applaud Uri Shulewitz' Caldecott Honour designstion for How I Learned Geography).
Although the narrative is simply told, and easy to understand, I would not necessarily recommend this excellent picture book for very young children, as some of the themes presented (war, hunger, being a refugee) are rather heavy and potentially traumatic. I think that a good age group would be children from about ages five to eight, although even older children would likely enjoy and appreciate How I Learned Geography, especially if reading the book were accompanied by discussions on and about some of the issues mentioned above.
March 3, 2013
When I have heard of Uri Shulevitz’s most recent children’s book, I was excited at reading this book! “How I Learned Geography� is a Caldecott Honor book by Uri Shulevitz that details author Uri Shulevitz’s experiences as a young Polish refugee during World War II and how he lived in Kazakhstan and how a map made him realize the beauty of the world. “How I Learned Geography� is a truly brilliant book for children who want to learn about author Uri Shulevitz’s life during World War II and want to look at the beauty of the world through a map.
When World War II started, a young Polish boy had escaped the land with his mother and father and they headed to a country called Kazakhstan where they lived their lives as refugees. One day, the boy’s father went to the bazaar to buy bread and he ended up buying a map instead. This ended up making both the boy and his mother furious at the father for letting them starve that night, however the next morning; the boy’s father put the map on the wall of their little room, which covered the entire wall. When the boy started looking at the map, he discovered that the map can open up a world that he has never known existed right before his eyes!
Oh my goodness! This book was truly a wonderful experience for me! I never would have realized that a map could help a person see the true wonders of the world through their own eyes and help them get through tough times during their lives! Uri Shulevitz has done a brilliant job at writing about his childhood during World War II and it was truly written in such a dramatic and heartwarming way that I often find myself sympathizing with the boy in the story many times. It was interesting seeing how the family had to run away from their home to find safety from the war and Uri Shulevitz has certainly done a brilliant job at detailing the hardships and pain that he and his family had to go through during the war, such as not having enough food to eat. I loved how Uri Shulevitz pointed out in the book that he found happiness in the dreary life he was thrown into by witnessing the wonders of a map through his mind. Uri Shulevitz’s illustrations are extremely colorful as there are detailed images of the country Kazakhstan with images of small houses that are made of clay, straw and camel dung, in the background. I also enjoyed Uri Shulevitz’s colorful images of the different countries that the boy visits through the map such as running across the beach and jumping about in the dessert sand. My favorite image in this book was of the boy flying all around the world and you can see various buildings from Europe to North America standing beneath him.
Overall, “How I Learned Geography� is a truly amazing and imaginative book that detailed the magic of viewing a map in an exciting and inventive way and children might be interested in witnessing the lives of many refugees during World War II in this book. I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since some of the countries that the boy mentions might be difficult for smaller children to understand and the themes of war and hunger might upset smaller children.
Review is also on:
When World War II started, a young Polish boy had escaped the land with his mother and father and they headed to a country called Kazakhstan where they lived their lives as refugees. One day, the boy’s father went to the bazaar to buy bread and he ended up buying a map instead. This ended up making both the boy and his mother furious at the father for letting them starve that night, however the next morning; the boy’s father put the map on the wall of their little room, which covered the entire wall. When the boy started looking at the map, he discovered that the map can open up a world that he has never known existed right before his eyes!
Oh my goodness! This book was truly a wonderful experience for me! I never would have realized that a map could help a person see the true wonders of the world through their own eyes and help them get through tough times during their lives! Uri Shulevitz has done a brilliant job at writing about his childhood during World War II and it was truly written in such a dramatic and heartwarming way that I often find myself sympathizing with the boy in the story many times. It was interesting seeing how the family had to run away from their home to find safety from the war and Uri Shulevitz has certainly done a brilliant job at detailing the hardships and pain that he and his family had to go through during the war, such as not having enough food to eat. I loved how Uri Shulevitz pointed out in the book that he found happiness in the dreary life he was thrown into by witnessing the wonders of a map through his mind. Uri Shulevitz’s illustrations are extremely colorful as there are detailed images of the country Kazakhstan with images of small houses that are made of clay, straw and camel dung, in the background. I also enjoyed Uri Shulevitz’s colorful images of the different countries that the boy visits through the map such as running across the beach and jumping about in the dessert sand. My favorite image in this book was of the boy flying all around the world and you can see various buildings from Europe to North America standing beneath him.
Overall, “How I Learned Geography� is a truly amazing and imaginative book that detailed the magic of viewing a map in an exciting and inventive way and children might be interested in witnessing the lives of many refugees during World War II in this book. I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since some of the countries that the boy mentions might be difficult for smaller children to understand and the themes of war and hunger might upset smaller children.
Review is also on:
March 31, 2008
Your story is your own, and when you choose to share it with the world you may find it hard to stop. There is no subject you are better familiar with, of course. Human beings can write diaries with a lifetime’s worth of memories. They can pen autobiographies that go from cradle to near grave and still find enough information for a couple thousand pages more. Maybe that’s why I have so much respect for the picture book autobiography. Particularly when it's not even a look at an entire life, but a snatched moment in a person’s youth that made them who they are today. Look back on your own life. If you had to synthesize it down to the one moment that defined who you are right now, what would it be? For Caldecott Award winner Uri Shulevitz, it all comes down to a map. And so, with brevity and wit and a feel for what makes a picture book worth reading, Mr. Shulevitz recounts a time of trial from his life that is touching in its seeming simplicity.
When young Uri Shulevitz fled Moscow with his family to the relative safety and security of then Turkestan (now Kazakhstan) they had little money and littler food. One day the boy’s father goes out to buy bread, but when he comes home it is not with anything edible but with a map. Uri is furious at this dad and has to put up with his neighbors noisily smacking their lips as they devour their own miniscule dinner. Yet when Uri’s father hangs the map on their wall, it offers the boy unexpected joys. Through its presence he goes round the world, exploring everything from cold mountain peaks to the thrill of beautiful temples. The map offers the boy escape from his hard life and perhaps helps to set him on his way as an artist and illustrator. An Author’s Note explains more about Uri’s life with a photograph and two drawing samples, one from age ten and one from thirteen.
My co-worker Rebecca made a remarkable point about this book. She recounted to me a story in which a person referred to himself as poor. His mother was quick to correct him, saying that they weren’t “poor� they were just broke. If you are broke you’re simply going to bad times, but if you’re poor then that’s a state of mind from which you can never escape. As Rebecca puts it, the moment Uri’s father bought that map instead of bread he made a conscious choice to be broke. Not poor.
Many of us will recognize Mr. Shulevitz’s work because of his remarkable Caldecott Honor winning book . That was a book of cold blues and an almost Maurice Sendakian feel for children’s playfulness. How I Learned Geography replicates that playfulness, but the art is where Shulevitz does what may well be his best work. The watercolors in this book run the gamut from the blood red overtones of a Warsaw sky to the bleak sand-colored roofs of Turkestan homes. Because the map has long since been lost to time, Mr. Shulevitz had to replicate it here from memory. It really is a splendid, colorful creation too, and when Uri recites the exotic names he finds there in a kind of incantation, he is seen flying over its flattened surface. I loved the tiny details of this imaginative journey. Look at how Shulevitz has somehow created the undulating lines of little ripples of sand in a burning desert. And the view of the city with all its buildings becomes a model of impossible angles and jutting towers. Little Uri even engages the reader directly when his father first comes home with the map. As his mother holds out her hand for the bread that will not come, Uri looks directly at the reader and points to his father, as if to say “What is up with this guy?�
The natural comparison to make when considering this book is to hold it up against Peter Sis� . This isn’t a particularly fair comparison, though. Sis� autobiography had an adult slant to it. He was actually summing up his early life in a thousand bits and pieces, as opposed to Shulevitz's minimalist view of his own. And while The Wall had child-friendly sections below each picture, it didn’t feel like something made with an entirely child-aged audience in mind. What’s so interesting about How I Learned Geography, in contrast, is that it feels wholly and entirely child-friendly. Yes, it has an Author’s Note in the back that’s directed at adults, but the book itself has a wonderfully young feel. Sentences are simple and beautiful and short. The flights of fancy Uri goes on are so much fun to read that kids will find quite a lot to grab onto and love in this author’s story. It’s a remarkable mix of memory and storytelling that works beautifully in its current elegant format.
It’s one thing to have a life worth telling and another thing entirely to know how to tell it. In How I Learned Geography, Uri Shulevitz presents his masterpiece. Image, heart, and story combine to show us the best of the autobiographical picture book format. A book that will touch all who read it because it reminds us that once in a while our dreams bleed into our reality. A beautiful piece.
Ages 4 and up.
When young Uri Shulevitz fled Moscow with his family to the relative safety and security of then Turkestan (now Kazakhstan) they had little money and littler food. One day the boy’s father goes out to buy bread, but when he comes home it is not with anything edible but with a map. Uri is furious at this dad and has to put up with his neighbors noisily smacking their lips as they devour their own miniscule dinner. Yet when Uri’s father hangs the map on their wall, it offers the boy unexpected joys. Through its presence he goes round the world, exploring everything from cold mountain peaks to the thrill of beautiful temples. The map offers the boy escape from his hard life and perhaps helps to set him on his way as an artist and illustrator. An Author’s Note explains more about Uri’s life with a photograph and two drawing samples, one from age ten and one from thirteen.
My co-worker Rebecca made a remarkable point about this book. She recounted to me a story in which a person referred to himself as poor. His mother was quick to correct him, saying that they weren’t “poor� they were just broke. If you are broke you’re simply going to bad times, but if you’re poor then that’s a state of mind from which you can never escape. As Rebecca puts it, the moment Uri’s father bought that map instead of bread he made a conscious choice to be broke. Not poor.
Many of us will recognize Mr. Shulevitz’s work because of his remarkable Caldecott Honor winning book . That was a book of cold blues and an almost Maurice Sendakian feel for children’s playfulness. How I Learned Geography replicates that playfulness, but the art is where Shulevitz does what may well be his best work. The watercolors in this book run the gamut from the blood red overtones of a Warsaw sky to the bleak sand-colored roofs of Turkestan homes. Because the map has long since been lost to time, Mr. Shulevitz had to replicate it here from memory. It really is a splendid, colorful creation too, and when Uri recites the exotic names he finds there in a kind of incantation, he is seen flying over its flattened surface. I loved the tiny details of this imaginative journey. Look at how Shulevitz has somehow created the undulating lines of little ripples of sand in a burning desert. And the view of the city with all its buildings becomes a model of impossible angles and jutting towers. Little Uri even engages the reader directly when his father first comes home with the map. As his mother holds out her hand for the bread that will not come, Uri looks directly at the reader and points to his father, as if to say “What is up with this guy?�
The natural comparison to make when considering this book is to hold it up against Peter Sis� . This isn’t a particularly fair comparison, though. Sis� autobiography had an adult slant to it. He was actually summing up his early life in a thousand bits and pieces, as opposed to Shulevitz's minimalist view of his own. And while The Wall had child-friendly sections below each picture, it didn’t feel like something made with an entirely child-aged audience in mind. What’s so interesting about How I Learned Geography, in contrast, is that it feels wholly and entirely child-friendly. Yes, it has an Author’s Note in the back that’s directed at adults, but the book itself has a wonderfully young feel. Sentences are simple and beautiful and short. The flights of fancy Uri goes on are so much fun to read that kids will find quite a lot to grab onto and love in this author’s story. It’s a remarkable mix of memory and storytelling that works beautifully in its current elegant format.
It’s one thing to have a life worth telling and another thing entirely to know how to tell it. In How I Learned Geography, Uri Shulevitz presents his masterpiece. Image, heart, and story combine to show us the best of the autobiographical picture book format. A book that will touch all who read it because it reminds us that once in a while our dreams bleed into our reality. A beautiful piece.
Ages 4 and up.
August 2, 2011
This story is based on the author's own boyhood when his family had to flee war-torn Poland at the onset of WWII and how one evening his father purchased a map, instead of bread, to bring home to their somber camp. At first, Uri and his mother are upset that all they have is a map while their roommates enjoy dinner. Yet, soon they begin to realize that father has brought home food for the spirit, as Uri daydreams over the map, imagining himself in many wonderful places far away from their somber reality.
I think this book is wonderful!!! I read it for the Picture Book Club's Geography theme over in the I went into it without knowing what it was about, so was surprised to find it was set during wartime and the beginning was so somber. At first, I wasn't sure where it was going and how it would become a book about geography. But, wow, I just loved how visually and emotionally the map changed everything, making the book so much brighter and warmer. The rhyme young Uri made up was just a delight! I could see how this map inspiring his around-the-world in his imagination was just so vital for him keeping his spirits up during their difficult time. I imagine it was a source of conversation and hope for the parents, too; I am not sure that, at that young age, Uri would have known which places had cities and which had jungles, for example, unless his parents were talking about it and sharing that knowledge with him. What a wonderful way to keep the family together and strong of heart and mind! The author's note at the end was marvelous, bringing everything together; though I felt the story was very moving and strong as a stand-alone, it made it even more vivid and poignant seeing the photograph of Uri during that time and it was a delight to see his childhood illustrations! This was a real winner in my book!
I think this book is wonderful!!! I read it for the Picture Book Club's Geography theme over in the I went into it without knowing what it was about, so was surprised to find it was set during wartime and the beginning was so somber. At first, I wasn't sure where it was going and how it would become a book about geography. But, wow, I just loved how visually and emotionally the map changed everything, making the book so much brighter and warmer. The rhyme young Uri made up was just a delight! I could see how this map inspiring his around-the-world in his imagination was just so vital for him keeping his spirits up during their difficult time. I imagine it was a source of conversation and hope for the parents, too; I am not sure that, at that young age, Uri would have known which places had cities and which had jungles, for example, unless his parents were talking about it and sharing that knowledge with him. What a wonderful way to keep the family together and strong of heart and mind! The author's note at the end was marvelous, bringing everything together; though I felt the story was very moving and strong as a stand-alone, it made it even more vivid and poignant seeing the photograph of Uri during that time and it was a delight to see his childhood illustrations! This was a real winner in my book!
November 26, 2010
I found this book very touching. The author writes about his childhood memories of being a refugee from war, a Jewish boy whose family managed to escape from Nazi occupied Poland. He writes about how he had no toys or books, and not enough food. Then, instead of buying a bit of bread, his father buys a map. The story shows how learning, immersing oneself in another world, and using one’s imagination, can make reality more tolerable.
The book’s illustrations fit the story well. Aesthetically, my favorite picture was probably that of the city buildings; I loved the way color was used in that picture. The illustrations were colorful and fun, but I don’t think they come close to matching those in another book I just read by this author-illustrator: .
I suggest not reading this book when you are hungry. I did, and I felt as the boy did at first: I wished the father had bought the bread and not the map, especially when the family’s hut mates ate their meager dinner. Reading about that made me even hungrier. I think the author did a great job with this book!
It’s a very simple story with not too many words on each page, but because of the subject matter, I wouldn’t recommend it for the youngest children. I think it would be ideal for early primary school children.
The book’s illustrations fit the story well. Aesthetically, my favorite picture was probably that of the city buildings; I loved the way color was used in that picture. The illustrations were colorful and fun, but I don’t think they come close to matching those in another book I just read by this author-illustrator: .
I suggest not reading this book when you are hungry. I did, and I felt as the boy did at first: I wished the father had bought the bread and not the map, especially when the family’s hut mates ate their meager dinner. Reading about that made me even hungrier. I think the author did a great job with this book!
It’s a very simple story with not too many words on each page, but because of the subject matter, I wouldn’t recommend it for the youngest children. I think it would be ideal for early primary school children.
October 13, 2017
Caldecott Honor 2009
This was good. It is based on the true events that the author experienced as a four year old boy. He and his family had to flee Poland, because of the Warsaw blitz, and lived six years in what is now known as Kazakhstan. During those years they often had very little money to buy food. One night, his father didn't bring home dinner, instead he brought home a map. That map inspired him in many ways that left a huge impact on his life.
This was good. It is based on the true events that the author experienced as a four year old boy. He and his family had to flee Poland, because of the Warsaw blitz, and lived six years in what is now known as Kazakhstan. During those years they often had very little money to buy food. One night, his father didn't bring home dinner, instead he brought home a map. That map inspired him in many ways that left a huge impact on his life.
August 11, 2017
This is a wonderful tale of imagination and hardship that will inspire the reader to learn that it is as important to feed your mind as it is your body.
The watercolor and collage illustrations are softly rendered in muted tones, and show the sadness and desperation of the boy's poverty, but also the wonders of his imagination.
Our girls enjoyed this tale, but I loved it. Mr. Shulevitz' story, and the trials he lived through as a young boy, are a lesson for us all.
This book was featured as one of the selections for the themed books for the in the Children's Books group here at Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
This book was also selected as one of the books for the September 2017- Caldecott Honors 2008-2012 discussion at the in the Children's Books Group here at Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
The watercolor and collage illustrations are softly rendered in muted tones, and show the sadness and desperation of the boy's poverty, but also the wonders of his imagination.
Our girls enjoyed this tale, but I loved it. Mr. Shulevitz' story, and the trials he lived through as a young boy, are a lesson for us all.
This book was featured as one of the selections for the themed books for the in the Children's Books group here at Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
This book was also selected as one of the books for the September 2017- Caldecott Honors 2008-2012 discussion at the in the Children's Books Group here at Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
September 30, 2009
How I Learned Geography was intended for children in grades 2-5. In this story a young boy and his family leave Poland and move to Turkestan. Here his family struggles to make money. One day the boy's father was supposed to come home with food, but instead comes home with a map. Although the boy and his mother are upset because they were so hungry, they decide to hang the large map on the wall. In the days and weeks that follow the young boy dreams of places he could go on the map. He even memorized the map and could recreate it at other times on paper.
Uri Shulevitz made the illustrations in the book colorful and lively. They were created with ink and watercolors. The pictures are double page spreads on some pages while other pages have two separate pictures. He also does a wonderful job including light and shadow to emphasize mood and focal points.
In the back of the book Uri even included an author's note with a photograph of himself at the precise time the story took place along with some of his first pictures of maps and of the Russian bazaar.
Uri Shulevitz made the illustrations in the book colorful and lively. They were created with ink and watercolors. The pictures are double page spreads on some pages while other pages have two separate pictures. He also does a wonderful job including light and shadow to emphasize mood and focal points.
In the back of the book Uri even included an author's note with a photograph of himself at the precise time the story took place along with some of his first pictures of maps and of the Russian bazaar.
November 10, 2022
A memoir from the author's childhood; it's about The Warsaw blitz in 1939 and about a map his father bought during that time.
Ages: 5 - 9
Cleanliness: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell !
Ages: 5 - 9
Cleanliness: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell !
March 3, 2009
This autobiographical story tells of a young boy who comes as a refugee to a country where they are poor and hungry. A huge map of the world which his father buys helps him learn geography and forget about his discomforts at home. The artwork, especially drawings of the boy, reminded me of Maurice Sendak. It was a nice story, but not anything I'd have given the Caldecott to.
March 4, 2020
Prolific picture-book artist Uri Shulevitz, who won the Caldecott Medal in 1969 for
, and then two Caldecott Honors in 1979 (
) and 1999 (
), made the Caldecott lists a fourth time in 2009 with this autobiographical picture-book about his childhood experiences in war-torn Europe. Still very young when bombs begin falling on his home in Warsaw, Uri and his family flee east, eventually settling in Kazakhstan, where they endure great hardship and poverty. One evening his father returns from the market, not with the expected bit of bread for the family dinner, but with a colorful wall map. Resentful at first, Uri eventually comes to treasure the map, which allows him to escape from the harsh reality of his current existence, and to dream of other places and experiences...
Given the subject matter, and the fact that I have enjoyed Shulevitz's work before, I really expected to take How I Learned Geography more to heart, than I ended up doing. Which isn't to say that I didn't appreciate it, because I did. All stories of children caught up in the madness of war are poignant, and this was no exception. I liked the way in which something that might not seem like a priority at first - a wall map, of all things - turns out to be the saving grace during a time of crisis. I also liked the illustrations, although I didn't find them the equal of some of Shulevitz's other work ( , for instance), and can't really see that they deserved a Caldecott nod. Still, I don't want to overstate the matter: although I wasn't as impressed with this one as many of my fellow readers, I still found it a solidly engaging book, and am glad that it was chosen as one of our August selections, over in the Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme this month is "maps and geography."
Given the subject matter, and the fact that I have enjoyed Shulevitz's work before, I really expected to take How I Learned Geography more to heart, than I ended up doing. Which isn't to say that I didn't appreciate it, because I did. All stories of children caught up in the madness of war are poignant, and this was no exception. I liked the way in which something that might not seem like a priority at first - a wall map, of all things - turns out to be the saving grace during a time of crisis. I also liked the illustrations, although I didn't find them the equal of some of Shulevitz's other work ( , for instance), and can't really see that they deserved a Caldecott nod. Still, I don't want to overstate the matter: although I wasn't as impressed with this one as many of my fellow readers, I still found it a solidly engaging book, and am glad that it was chosen as one of our August selections, over in the Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme this month is "maps and geography."
October 8, 2013
How I Learned Geography
by Uri Shulevitz
2009 Caldecott Honor Book
A war forced the author’s family to flee when he was just a boy. His family move to a far off country and they were very poor. One day, instead of bringing home bread to eat (the only food for that night), the author’s father brought home that he said was better than bread - a map. This nonfiction account of the author’s childhood captures the essence of living in poverty as a displaced person, and how even though the cost might seem great at first, education and imagination can bring far a far greater escape than one night’s meal. The colors and rich scenes of the background in this story are only superseded by the look and expression of the characters that manage to say so much to children about the complexities and strains of life as an impoverished, displaced family, in a way that words cannot. This would have been my choice for the winner of the Caldecott medal for illustrated children’s book. This book would be a great read aloud for parents, librarians, and teachers of kindergarten through second grade. The book would tie in well with lessons on geography and maps, as well as contemporary social topics like refugees, poverty, and displaced persons. Although this is a picture book, it does contain some words that might be too difficult for early elementary students to read independently (enthusiasm, incantation, and place names). The uplifting theme of the book about how imagination can be a great escape in a bad situation, and the vivid pictures of the places Uri would travel with his imagination are all the more wonderful because this is a true story (the page at the end has a brief biography of the author.)
by Uri Shulevitz
2009 Caldecott Honor Book
A war forced the author’s family to flee when he was just a boy. His family move to a far off country and they were very poor. One day, instead of bringing home bread to eat (the only food for that night), the author’s father brought home that he said was better than bread - a map. This nonfiction account of the author’s childhood captures the essence of living in poverty as a displaced person, and how even though the cost might seem great at first, education and imagination can bring far a far greater escape than one night’s meal. The colors and rich scenes of the background in this story are only superseded by the look and expression of the characters that manage to say so much to children about the complexities and strains of life as an impoverished, displaced family, in a way that words cannot. This would have been my choice for the winner of the Caldecott medal for illustrated children’s book. This book would be a great read aloud for parents, librarians, and teachers of kindergarten through second grade. The book would tie in well with lessons on geography and maps, as well as contemporary social topics like refugees, poverty, and displaced persons. Although this is a picture book, it does contain some words that might be too difficult for early elementary students to read independently (enthusiasm, incantation, and place names). The uplifting theme of the book about how imagination can be a great escape in a bad situation, and the vivid pictures of the places Uri would travel with his imagination are all the more wonderful because this is a true story (the page at the end has a brief biography of the author.)
May 27, 2013
2.5?
I seriously considered not posting a rating or review.
It is a fairly difficult thing to 'judge' someone's personal experience. That's why I'm not. If I were looking at this in that light I might give this book a 5. Instead, I'm considering it as a children's book.
Be advised this book is about a person (presumably Jewish) who was forced to leave Poland, and later moved through multiple other locations until they ended up in America during the World War II era. I have no qualm with that, but you certainly do not get that from the cover.
To brass tacks. The artwork was ok-good. The story was lackluster. Even kind of bad. A young boy is forced to move, and his dad is responsible for supporting his family. One day he comes home with a map instead of food. His wife is upset. His boy learns about the world. The end.
My personal feeling is that the author has a tremendously compelling story to tell, and this book does not do it justice. Sorry.
Not recommended.
I seriously considered not posting a rating or review.
It is a fairly difficult thing to 'judge' someone's personal experience. That's why I'm not. If I were looking at this in that light I might give this book a 5. Instead, I'm considering it as a children's book.
Be advised this book is about a person (presumably Jewish) who was forced to leave Poland, and later moved through multiple other locations until they ended up in America during the World War II era. I have no qualm with that, but you certainly do not get that from the cover.
To brass tacks. The artwork was ok-good. The story was lackluster. Even kind of bad. A young boy is forced to move, and his dad is responsible for supporting his family. One day he comes home with a map instead of food. His wife is upset. His boy learns about the world. The end.
My personal feeling is that the author has a tremendously compelling story to tell, and this book does not do it justice. Sorry.
Not recommended.
January 9, 2019
This was a better book than I first thought. Apparently, a true story, this hearkened to a time when integrity was something cherished.
The narrator's family escaped the war. They are poor and hungry. One evening the boy's father went out for food but came back with a map. Despite his family's protestations because they were hungry, the father explained that the money would have purchased little food and they would still have been hungry. With the map, they could travel the world.
And the boy did. He was fascinated with the various places on the map, which took up an entire wall of the abode in which they stayed. Pretty powerful. The map nourished the boy in a manner food could not.
The narrator's family escaped the war. They are poor and hungry. One evening the boy's father went out for food but came back with a map. Despite his family's protestations because they were hungry, the father explained that the money would have purchased little food and they would still have been hungry. With the map, they could travel the world.
And the boy did. He was fascinated with the various places on the map, which took up an entire wall of the abode in which they stayed. Pretty powerful. The map nourished the boy in a manner food could not.
September 6, 2011
I really enjoyed this book about the author based on his boyhood experience learning geography. It was a monthly pick of the Children's Picture Book Club found here:
The illustrations were captivating. I felt great empathy for the family during their difficult times and was fascinated by the choice made by his father to by a map instead of food. The map brought hope and wonder to the little boy and provided hours of imagining faraway places. Buying the map obviously contributed to who the author ultimately became.
The illustrations were captivating. I felt great empathy for the family during their difficult times and was fascinated by the choice made by his father to by a map instead of food. The map brought hope and wonder to the little boy and provided hours of imagining faraway places. Buying the map obviously contributed to who the author ultimately became.
March 29, 2009
THIS was the book I had been looking for when I found "Daughters of Fire" and "The Diamond Tree." Caldecott Honor book. Really neat story, and somewhat autobiographical. Taken from the author's memories as a refugee during World War II. The family's father comes home, bringing a map instead of food. At first, the son is angry, but as he studies the map, he imagines himself in far-away places, where he can, for a time, forget how miserable and hungry he is. Lovely contrast between the daydreams and the stark reality.
November 25, 2009
This book was simply okay. I'm not sure why it won the Caldecott Honor, it was interesting and told from a different perspective, but I'm not sure a child would be very impressed with it. The illustrations were nice, but I wasn't a big fan of this book. I might recommend, but only if you were trying to read all the Caldecotts.
*Taken from my book reviews blog:
*Taken from my book reviews blog:
August 29, 2010
Very moving story about Uri Shulevitz's move as a little boy to Russia. His home in Poland is destroyed by war and his family gets out with nothing except the clothes on their back. His father spends what little money they have on a map instead of food, and this makes Uri angry. However, as he studies the map, he is transported into other worlds and lives, thus being able to forgive his father and forget about his hunger. C.2008, Genre-biography
August 27, 2011
I was enchanted and intrigued by this story. How could the boy's father buy something so impractical as a map, when the family was starving? Yet the map helped the young boy see that there were places in the world beyond his home. It allowed him to dream and imagine what they were like.
The illustrations in this picture book are colorful, captivating, and full of hope.
I especially enjoyed the end notes where they author shared a bit of his real-life story, and some of his early drawings
The illustrations in this picture book are colorful, captivating, and full of hope.
I especially enjoyed the end notes where they author shared a bit of his real-life story, and some of his early drawings
October 19, 2016
I picked this book up based solely on the name. I wasn't expecting the true story of a little boy and his family who were made refugees by World War II, and how he used a huge map as a way to escape from his dreary life in what is now Kazakhstan. It lead to an interesting discussion with my child about war, refugees, antisemitism, and geography. Definitely worth reading.
March 12, 2013
This is a story based on the author's own experience as a child. As a child war was going on all around and Father brings home a map instead of bread to eat. What good is a map? Read it to find out!
October 27, 2020
In his powerful memoir Chance, Escape from the Holocaust, recalls the time when his family was living in Turkestan and his family went to the market to buy bread, but came home with an enormous, colorful map instead. I found the story particularly interesting because I had read Uri Shulevitz's picture book How I Learned Geography when it first came out in 2008.
In September, 1939, Uri and his family are forced to flee their home in Warsaw, Poland when the Nazis invade their country, leaving almost everything they owned behind. They flee far east, eventually coming to a city "...of houses made of clay, straw, and camel dung, surrounded by dusty steppes..." that was very hot in summer and very cold in winter.
One day, Uri's father goes to the market to buy some bread. Late in the evening, he comes home but without any food for the family to eat. Instead he has bought a large, colorful map of the world. Angry, Uri and his mother both go to bed hungry, listening to the couple who lived with them in their small room smacking their lips while they eat what little bread they have.
The next day, Uri's father hand the map, which covers the entire wall, and their "...cheerless room was flooded with color." Fascinated with it, Uri spends his days studying every detail of the map, even drawing it on whatever scrape of paper he could find.
Thanks to that map and what looked like a foolish purchase, Uri finds escape from the difficult conditions he and his parents finds themselves in. Uri uses his imagination to travel far and wide, from deserts and snowy mountain tops, to the tropics and to big cities, spending ..."enchanted hours far, far from [their] hunger and misery."
How I learned Geography is a poignantly written story, told in Shulevitz's straightforward, but spare language. He doesn't go into describing things in depth, allowing his own watercolor and ink illustrations to fill in the details for his. And they do - wonderfully well. Pay particular attention to the variety of facial expressions and body language Shulevitz has captured. For instance, take a look at how Uri's father's changes in the three illustrations above.
How I Learned Geography has a kind of Jack and the Beanstalk feeling to it, where an act of folly turns out to be just the thing that is needed. Uri's family ended up impoverished and hungry because of the Nazis invading their homeland, Jack's because of the giant stealing their possessions. The difference, of course, is that Uri's story is based on his life.
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
In September, 1939, Uri and his family are forced to flee their home in Warsaw, Poland when the Nazis invade their country, leaving almost everything they owned behind. They flee far east, eventually coming to a city "...of houses made of clay, straw, and camel dung, surrounded by dusty steppes..." that was very hot in summer and very cold in winter.
One day, Uri's father goes to the market to buy some bread. Late in the evening, he comes home but without any food for the family to eat. Instead he has bought a large, colorful map of the world. Angry, Uri and his mother both go to bed hungry, listening to the couple who lived with them in their small room smacking their lips while they eat what little bread they have.
The next day, Uri's father hand the map, which covers the entire wall, and their "...cheerless room was flooded with color." Fascinated with it, Uri spends his days studying every detail of the map, even drawing it on whatever scrape of paper he could find.
Thanks to that map and what looked like a foolish purchase, Uri finds escape from the difficult conditions he and his parents finds themselves in. Uri uses his imagination to travel far and wide, from deserts and snowy mountain tops, to the tropics and to big cities, spending ..."enchanted hours far, far from [their] hunger and misery."
How I learned Geography is a poignantly written story, told in Shulevitz's straightforward, but spare language. He doesn't go into describing things in depth, allowing his own watercolor and ink illustrations to fill in the details for his. And they do - wonderfully well. Pay particular attention to the variety of facial expressions and body language Shulevitz has captured. For instance, take a look at how Uri's father's changes in the three illustrations above.
How I Learned Geography has a kind of Jack and the Beanstalk feeling to it, where an act of folly turns out to be just the thing that is needed. Uri's family ended up impoverished and hungry because of the Nazis invading their homeland, Jack's because of the giant stealing their possessions. The difference, of course, is that Uri's story is based on his life.
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
August 16, 2011
This was an absolute favorite! I found it so inspiring and so well-written. Uri's father bought a map instead of bread during WWII. Studying that map led Uri to dream of faraway places and a brighter future. The book includes a few of his drawings when he was a boy and a photograph of him. Such a wonderful story. It seems like it would take some hopeful/forward thinking to buy the map rather than food. While the map ended up being so much more important and long lasting than bread, when your basic needs aren't met, it is usually difficult to focus on other needs... Absolutely wonderful!
Read
November 18, 2014The title of the book suggests that it might be a book about geography. It is way more than that. The family was forced to leave their home country when war broke out. When the father made the hard choice between buying a map or bread, he bought a map, which fascinated the boy and sparked his imagination. With a hungry stomach, the boy was able to travel spatially and geographically around the world. The hunger pangs were not as strong as they really were when one was preoccupied with learning about new places around the world.
January 31, 2009
Imagine your life being so upheaved that you find yourself living in a strange land, with a family you don't know, with little or nothing to eat, and only your imagination to keep you company. Knowing this is a true story makes it all the more poignant. The pictures are incredible as is most of Uri's, and are the perfect complement to the sparse text. The author's note lends credibility and is fascinatingly informative. Loved it! Caldecott honor winner.
September 10, 2017
This was an inspiring story of how a map ignited a young boy's imagination, so that he eventually became an award-winning author/illustrator. On the other hand, I can also understand the Mother's being upset that Father spent money on a map rather than on food. The little boy's imaginary journeys are depicted in cheerful watercolor and ink paintings. The author's note helped to explain the family's situation and various moves.
October 5, 2017
This book is a celebration of resilience and the ways kids can use imagination to overcome adversity. Some of the imagined sequences remind me of Where the Wild Things Are, in their colors, and in the way they take up more than one page. This would be a good picture book for older kids, especially as an introduction to a topic like the Warsaw blitz. This would also be a must-read for any child doing an author study of Uri Shulevitz.
March 27, 2008
In very few words, and splendid pictures, Shulevitz tells a story of longing and hunger, hope and learning. What a brave father he had.
Want to read
November 26, 2016Text-to-Teaching November 29,2016
This is a interesting to learn about geography. After reading the book to the students. I would show a map of Georgia and make sure they understand how to read a map.I would have the class to write a paragraph about the places in their neighborhood such as parks shopping center or stores,church. I would than have the class to create a map of their neighborhood of the places in their neighborhood.
This is a interesting to learn about geography. After reading the book to the students. I would show a map of Georgia and make sure they understand how to read a map.I would have the class to write a paragraph about the places in their neighborhood such as parks shopping center or stores,church. I would than have the class to create a map of their neighborhood of the places in their neighborhood.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 410 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.