Book Review: Wow! America!

By Ariel

Still riding the patriotic high that is Independence day? Me too! Wrap up a month of celebrating America with this patriotic gem.  This post contains affiliate links. By using them you help keep Busy Nest News up and running. Thank you for your continued support.

Wow! America! by Robert Neubecker

I have a silent, humble pride in the country that I call home, America. You won’t see a flag flying off the back of my pick-up truck. I don’t own any flag print apparel. But I will use the entire month of July to celebrate the things that make this country unique. To be fair, I would read Wow! America! by Robert Neubecker at any point during the year, but it feels appropriate to share this little gem with you now.  

Wow! America! tells the tale of two sisters tromping across the country. Well, actually it tells the story of Izzy, an older sister, running after her younger sister Jo who has dashed away. In their epic chase, they see America from coast to coast. "Izzy was a mountain girl. She lived on top of the world. Izzy’s little sister Jo went running down the mountain so…” Thus it begins.

Each page highlights another unique sight, city, state or region proudly discussing the eccentricities that make America great. It features regions such as New England, the Midwest, and the Atlantic Coast. But also cities such as New York and Chicago. Some sites are so grand they need fold-out pages, like the spread displaying the Mississippi River or the Grand Canyon. Reading through the book the reader really does get a sense of how large and diverse this country is. It contains both NYC, one of the largest megacities in the world, and the Midwest, a region known for corn as far as the eye can see!

When I graduated from college, I was lucky enough to have parents with the time necessary and funds available to take a two-month road trip across America. We literally drove AROUND the country. We took the Northern route out West drove down the West Coast and took the Southern route home. It was one of the most impactful experiences of my life. Up until that point I had equated travel with international travel. And while I still believe that traveling outside one's country is an important part of challenging yourself to grow, getting up close and personal with America showed me that you can spend your whole life traveling in the United States and never get bored. Saying that this country is diverse - physically and culturally - is an understatement. Robert Neubecker’s Wow! America! captures the same sense of awe that I felt.

Wow! America! is a classy read. I find that books about America or Independence day are either superficial or overly patriotic. They equate America with either hot dogs and hamburgers or hoorah America, but there is no constitution thumping in this one. The message of Wow! America! is subtle. It says, “there is a great beauty here.” It is conveyed through detailed illustrations from the perspective of two children seeing these places for the first time. It leaves a lasting impression. Until Bean is old enough to start road tripping in earnest, I will be reading this to her.

Unfortunately Wow! America! is out of print, but if you can borrow it through your local library or even track down a second-hand copy you won’t regret it. This book is worth digging through bins at the thrift store for. I give Wow! America! by Robert Neubecker four eggs.

Am I the only one or is taking a cross country road trip something you want to do as a family? Let us know in the comments below!

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