French, Vivian. From Here to There: A First Book of Maps. Ya-Ling Huang, Illus. Candlewick, 05/2023. [28]pp. Picture Book. Trade $17.99. 978-1-5362-2511-2. GRADES Kindergarten – 3. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Anna receives an invitation to Zane’s house, with a map to show her how to get there. She and her father explore the concept of maps and make some other examples in a story that primary grades can use to explore the concept. Anna learns about symbols used in maps, perspective, size, and other factors. The full-color illustrations resemble watercolor paintings, and the maps look as if a child drew them with crayons. Anna and her father present as white and Zane as Black, but this is never mentioned in the text. The text is somewhat long for storytime but may work as a classroom readaloud.
Penny Peck—San Jose State University iSchool