Book Review: The Boy Who Changed the World

The Boy Who Changed the World
By Andy Andrews
Thomas Nelson, 2010
English, 40 pages


Product Description:


Did you know that what you do today can change the world forever?

The Boy Who Changed the World opens with a young Norman Borlaug playing in his family's cornfields with his sisters. One day, Norman would grow up and use his knowledge of agriculture to save the lives of two billion people. Two billion! Norman changed the world!  Or was it Henry Wallace who changed the world?  Or maybe it was George Washington Carver?

This engaging story reveals the incredible truth that everything we do matters! Based on The Butterfly Effect, Andy's timeless tale shows children that even the smallest of our actions can affect all of humanity. The book is beautifully illustrated and shares the stories of Nobel Laureate Norman Borlaug, Vice President Henry Wallace, Inventor George Washington Carver, and Farmer Moses Carver. Through the stories of each, a different butterfly will appear. The book will end with a flourish of butterflies and a charge to the child that they, too, can be the boy or girl who changes the world.

My review:
I was really excited to get this to read to my soon-to-be 4 year old son. While it was a good story, he lost interest pretty quickly. I do think we'll be reading it again though. Sometimes, it just has to be his idea to read.

The story is great, telling you that your decisions can impact the future in ways you'll never know. I'm a little scared about how I'll explain raiders and kidnapping though.

The artwork in the book is stunning. It's just right for the intended 4-8 year old.

All in all, I think it's a good concept for a book, I'm just not sure it hit it's target on execution.

A copy of the book was sent to me for review from Book Sneeze. I have received no additional compensation for the book and was not required to write a positive review.