Where the World Ends
Where does the world end? Where does the sidewalk end? There seems to be a whimsical fascination with endings in children’s literature. Maybe it has something to do with the end of childhood — it’s out there, somewhere, on the border of adolescence. But because all children mature at different rates, it’s difficult to pinpoint. When will it strike? Will you even be aware of its beginning? There are pros and cons to the end of childhood. Adults have power; they can decide things for themselves. But adults also give up recess, summer break, so many of the reliable hallmarks of childhood. Perhaps it’s not surprising that so many children’s books examine the idea of the end.
Where the World Ends (Princeton Architectural Press) by Davide Cali and Maria Dek, and due to be released January 12th, is one such book. In the charmingly whimsical picture book, anthropomorphized animals Zip, Trik, and Flip set out on a spontaneous adventure to find the end of the world.
Dek’s illustrations, done in what appear to be childlike magic marker scrawls, are a clue to potential readers: Abandon all adult logic, ye who would enter here. This book — its plot, its characters’ goals — does not operate according to a three-act structure. It’s not playing by those rules, but rather, in imitation of children making up a game as they go along, it chugs whimsically along, at least until the three friends discover what they claim is the end of the world. Why on this distant hill? Well, why not?
Zip, Trik, and Flip are told repeatedly that their objective is an impossible one. You can’t find the end of the world. It’s impossible to cross the forest. Gatekeepers — always adults — attempt, in good faith, to caution the kids. Don’t get your hopes up. Set manageable goals. While those are, of course, excellent pieces of advice for adults, or even teens and preteens, such offerings serve only to make clear the barrier between childlike and gown-up logic.
So is Where the World Ends for everyone? No, but so few of the best works of art are. And as that intrepid time traveler Marty McFly told a bemused crowd in Back to the Future, “Guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet … but your kids are gonna love it.”
Thank you to Cotton Tails, the place to find unique children's clothing and shoes, found in the Laurelwood Shopping Center, and Literacy Mid-South for sponsoring this children’s book review! Learn more about the various programs offered by Literacy Mid-South by visiting their site literacymidsouth.org and follow them on Facebook and Instagram @literacymidsouth.