World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments

Making it through the frigid winter months is no small feat (especially for my fellow Chicagoans), and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the return of these blissfully warm days than heading to the park with my copy of Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s World of Wonders. The essays and vivid illustrations that make up this book are a love letter to the beautiful and bizarre creatures that call this planet home – from axolotls to catalpa trees, octopi to corpse flowers, Aimee’s lifelong passion for the natural world simply radiates off the page. She uses her beloved flora and fauna to paint an unflinching portrait of the joys and trials of childhood, coming of age, falling in love, motherhood, and the other milestones that make up a life. In her chapter on the narwhal, she writes,

“A white boy who would take my brown hand in his, putting it to his heart when he makes a promise so I can feel his heartbeat and the warmth residing there. If only the narwhal could have taught me how to listen for those clicks of connection, the echo reverberating back to me.”

In an age where so many of us spend our lives indoors and in front of screens, Aimee’s stunning prose is a reminder of the wonder that is truly all around us, just waiting to be discovered.