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Over the Ocean by Taro Gomi Book Review


Over the Ocean by Taro Gomi
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Release Date: May 17, 2016

A young girl looks out to sea and wonders what lies beyond. Perhaps there are boats filled with toys, skyscrapers filled with people, home with families. Perhaps there is another little girl standing on the shore of another ocean, thinking the same thoughts.

An old book reprinted for a new audience, Over the Ocean is the timeless story of imagination and wonder. I think we have all wondered what it is like somewhere else, knowing full well that our experiences limit our imaginations and yet we search for that knowledge anyway. For children, that imagining begins with a question. Every page of this book is filled with colorful depictions that try to answer those questions. Despite these rich themes, I admit that I was a bit bored by the book. The child's imagination never goes beyond the practical and this felt so unlike the true thoughts of a child. That issue is vastly outweighed by the wonderful illustrations though.




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