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.