I am giving Glitter Everywhere!: Where it Came From, Where It’s Found & Where It’s Going is a 4.5. I started writing this review before I had officially finished (okay I was only a handful of pages in and already knew I was going to love it) as I was really excited about the Tiny and Shiny Club that I just had to stop what I was doing and tell you about beetles.
“WHOA! There!” I am sure you are saying, “Beetles? The title said it was about Glitter. You know that tiny stuff that is more distracting than a squirrel to a hound dog?” Yes, it is about glitter. So now back to beetles.
You see, glitter is not just that shiny stuff, that is tiny and you love, hate or a little bit of both it. Nature created the formula that allows glitter to be that sparkle, wonderful/horrible self. This book
by Chris Barton tells us, in a non-fiction set up as a fiction picture book (due late June/early July 2023), all about it. The reasons why we might like it, the science behind it, the history/evolution of it, and the uses for it, not to mention the fun it is and so much more. Like how the history of beetle wings, mica and other items have been used to get our hearts pumping and eyes glued to the sparkles of glitter items. This is not an art book, but a history book that is arty and presented in a fun way to learn about all sorts of things, in a non serious way. However, it does mention the downsides as well (and not just the “it gets everywhere” issue).
Now I must speak of the illustrations. Chaaya Prabhat did a number on them (but in a good way)! The pages are packed with fun, but not overly crowded (except a few pages that have lots of glitter All. Over. The. Place.). They are colorful, cute, funny, diverse and are having a good time. They also support the text well.
And… I finished! Oh wow! What a ride! Kids, okay you should read it. But adults? You REALLY should read it! I would put glitter on “really” if a) I could do that via a computer (which is were I also read the book) b) it was not so messy (remember it sticks to EVERYTHING) and c) it was not actually a lot more controversial that you might have thought (it is not just the Pro or Con People there are ethical issues). Also, do not forget to read the authors and the illustrators afterwards. They have some fun tidbits.
