Anne Schwartz Books | 978-1984852304

“There once was a boy who loved maps.” All kinds of maps. Small enough to fit in a pocket. Large enough to fill up walls. Maps of cities, countries, and continents. Everyone called the boy “the MAPMAKER.”

CLICK TO ENLARGE © G. Brian Karas

When a girl comes to see the Mapmaker, she is hoping for “a map of the perfect place.” The mapmaker puts his mind and pen to it and comes up a beautiful map of “the warmest place he could find, with its sunny, sandy beaches.”

It was “nice,” but not entirely what the girl wanted. “The Mapmaker was perplexed.” None of the maps on the walls of his treehouse were close.

CLICK TO ENLARGE © G. Brian Karas

“I think we need to go exploring,” said the girl. And off the new friends went. The girl led, the boy followed. They traveled here and there, and all around the neighborhood until finally, they arrived at the small house that was the girl’s home.

That’s when the mapmaker knew exactly what kind of map to draw.

I immediatly fell in love with this delightful picture book. The gentle story, the lyrical language, and the way in which the friendship between the two children builds as the kids explore their neighborhood, grow their friendship, and discover “the map of home” that “they both needed.”

THE BOY WHO LOVED MAPS , Kari Allen’s debut picture book, with charming illustrations by G. Brian Karas  includes an author’s note, glossary, and backmatter on “How to Make a Map of Your Neighborhood.” Pair this book with an “old favorite,” ME ON THE MAP, by Joan Sweeney, with new illustrations by Qin Leng.