Me, All Alone, at the End of the World

by M.T. Anderson, Kevin Hawkes (Illustrator)

From the celebrated picture-book team of M. T. Anderson and Kevin Hawkes comes a wistful, wondrous ode to the natural pleasures of peace and solitude.


The boy lives alone at the End of the World, hunting treasure with old maps, finding fossils, whistling tunes, playing ball by the drop. It's a peaceful, contemplative life, and the boy is content. Until, that is, a self-styled Professional Visionary arrives and puts up a CONSTANTINE SHIMMER'S GALVANO-MAGICAL END OF THE WORLD TOURS. FUN ALL THE TIME! Soon men with machines come to pave a clearing for the inn and theme park, and the touring children seem nice, but still. . . . M. T. Anderson's lyric homage to simplicity and self-reliance is brought to life in arresting detail by the masterful artwork of Kevin Hawkes, creating a fantastical yet evocative world sure to resonate with everyone who enters it.

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Childrens, Friendship, Fiction, Nature, Middle Grade

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

Matthew Tobin Anderson (M. T. Anderson), (1968- ) is an author, primarily of picture books for children and novels for young adults. Anderson lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

His picture books include Handel Who Knew What He Liked; Strange Mr. Satie; The Serpent Came to Gloucester; and Me, All Alone, at the End of the World. He has written such young adult books as Thirsty, Burger Wuss, Feed, The Game of Sunken Places, and Octavian Nothing. For middle grader readers, his novels include Whales on Stilts: M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales and its sequel, The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen.
-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is]

About: Me, All Alone, at the End of the World is a children’s picture book written by M. T. Anderson and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. It will be published on 3/14/2017 by Candlewick, hardcover, 48 pages. The genres are adventure, nature, fantasy, fiction, etc. This book is intended for children ages 6 to 9, grades 1 to 4. According to the publisher’s website, Candlewick Press is committed to making the world a better place, not just through the books they publish but also in the way they work.

My Experience: I started reading Me, All Alone, at the End of the World for my 5 year-old son as a bed time story on 2/25/17 and we finished it that same night. We read it again on 3/5/17 because this book calls for re-reading. The illustration is amazing! Very imaginative! In this book, readers will follow a boy who lives alone by the mountain cliff at the end of the world. He enjoys the slow days where he spends his time looking for fossils, listening to the winds, whistling, and watching the sunset. One day, a strange man named Constantine Shimmer appears and tells the boy he will create an end of the world tours so that more people will come and it will provide fun all the time. Mr. Shimmer thinks the boy should have friends and fun. Once the fun park is set up, Mr. Shimmer introduces the boy some friends, Bert, Juke, and Minnie Bucket. They have all kinds of fun together at the Constantine Shimmer’s Galvano-Magical End of the World Tours Fun All The Time. They enjoys hang glide, hot air balloon, ice skating, and many more. After a week of fun, the boy miss the wind and the quiet solitude before Mr. Shimmer arrives. Despite the new friends and the fun, he wants to leave.

I really enjoy reading this book. I can relate to the boy wanting solitude to think and listen to nature. My son and I truly love the illustrations. I don’t know if this book can be enjoyable for kids without the pictures because I think kids may enjoy the fun more than the solitude. I enjoy this book a bit more because I prefer more quiet time than loud noise. This book, however, is still great for kids because it shows that they can still have fun on their own. The boy likes to look for treasures with old maps and puts bones of dinosaurs back together with twine. At night he likes to sleep in his cozy shack with the sound of the rain and thunder. I highly recommend this book for all ages.

Pro: illustrations, solitude, new friends, fun & loud vs peace & quiet, nature

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com

[Manybooks]

In their 2015 picture book Me, All Alone, At the End of the World M.T. Anderson's narrative and Kevin Hawkes' accompanying artwork (with Anderson's words very nicely reflecting Hawkes' artwork and Hawkes' illustrations equally mirroring and sometimes also visually expanding a bit on what is being verbally provided by Anderson), a nameless and looking somewhat like Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn boy (delightfully depicted by Kevin Hawkes as clad in overalls, with no shirt and no shoes) is shown by M.T. Anderson narrating how he adores living all alone at the End of the World of the book title, hunting for treasure with maps, whistling a dance tune to his mule, listening to the rain and thunder from the shelter of his cozy shack, with a very peaceful and contented existence being shown and also being celebrated both verbally and illustratively in Me, All Alone, At the End of the World.

And yes, the boy's life is idyllic (albeit also somewhat solitary) until M.T. Anderson and Kevin Hawkes have loudly boisterously extroverted amusement park developer Constantine Shimmer appear in Me, All Alone, At the End of the World and unilaterally (as well as brooking no arguments) declare that things are going to change regarding the young boy's sanctuary, with Mr. Shimmer bringing in flashing lights, spellbinding shows, thrilling rides, exciting games, and every other sort of extravaganza (in other words, loudly enthusiastic fun, fun, fun all the time). But while Me, All Alone, At the End of the World does show the boy making friends, getting caught up in some of the activities created by Constantine Shimmer and even having a good time, he soon starts to grow weary of the constant activity, the constant noise and public go, go, go attitude of Mr. Shimmer and his amusement park, with Anderson's text and Hawkes' images both showing how the boy's world is permanently changing around him, that when he reaches a point of over-stimulation Kevin Hawkes' pictures for Me, All Alone, At the End of the World become quite garish and unnatural looking and that M.C. Anderson's words also become heavier and show that even the friends the boy is making become problematic as life after Shimmer's amusement park invades his erstwhile sanctuary is simply too frenetic and seriously negatively affecting his mental health (so that at the end of Me, All Alone, At the End of the World the young boy leaves in a hot air balloon to find a new quiet sanctuary).

Five stars from both my inner child and also for adult me for Me, All Alone, At the End of the World, with Anderson’s text celebrating simple pleasures and solitude even as it also acknowledges the the joys of friendship and the appeal of man-made attractions (and that as already mentioned above, Hawkes’s illustrations complement the narrative perfectly and sometimes even visually show more detail than what is being textually provided in and with Me, All Alone, At the End of the World). So yes indeed, in many ways Me, All Alone, At the End of the World is a total celebration of introversion, but that M.C. Anderson's words and Kevin Hawkes' illustrations also demonstrate, also show that for many introverts, some extroversion works, but only to a point, that friendship is important, but that for those of us enamoured of solitude, that for those of us who are introverted, too much freneticism and even too many friends and activities with friends neither works nor is something healthy for us emotionally).

[Kathryn]

I thought this was an amazing book! Yeah, it's heavy on the message, but I thought it was beautiful and poignant and thoughtful and the illustrations were fantastic, too.

It seems that this book is generally held up as a cautionary tale on environmental exploitation. I definitely see this. However, I also felt myself drawn to other themes... The unspoiled nature also reminded me of the untarnished, wild imagination and self-sufficiency of childhood and how that veil is eventually and forever lifted by Knowledge, by Society, by Whomever... The boy is perfectly content in his own world, with his own company, exploring and learning on his own... Until Someone from the Outside World comes and plants the seed that maybe the boy's life hasn't really been that fulfilled since he has "no friends," he has no "FUN INVENTIONS" to play with, that his life has been Not Enough--as deemed by... Others. This is Peter Pan, this is Wall-e... this is "Feed" (Anderson's YA novel).

This is marvelous and sad and beautiful...

[Renee's little gr library]

I wish this book was available to me when I was younger.
I love how it gives a person permission to enjoy being alone and quiet.

[Cheryl]

I get it. In fact, I got it from the title and cover. I'm trying to figure out why the author went on and on with so many words, so many stages of the adventure. All I can guess is that, yeah, even the most fervent hermits of us don't want to live in a cabin on Walden Pond all the time (Thoreau didn't!). So, the creators did let the bits about fun and friendship shine in all their tempting bedazzlement.

You know what, I was going to give it three stars, but then I thought about the ending (where's the ice?) and I looked at the cover again (why is the donkey burdened?) and the fact that I strongly believe that 10% of the words could have been used to make a much more powerful book... so I took another star off. Sorry.

[Dolly]

This is a strange and cautionary tale against the excesses of fun, activity, consumption and development. The story reminds me of Walden, and depicts how much a person can gain from quiet contemplation and solitude.

The illustrations are amazing and we marveled at all of the detail in the pictures as we read the story. We really enjoyed reading this book aloud together, on a quiet and cold evening in front of the woodstove.

[Figgy]

Review to come.

[Jenny]

My 8 year old and I sat down to read this together. A few pages in she asked to stop...she didn't like it. I read the rest by myself. I guess my response is to feel like I got hit over the head with a board (message). While I understand the message I feel annoyed by its delivery. Why is it that so many books portray a simple, slow paced life as being in every way superior to a fast paced city life. Yes, I believe we need to take care of our natural resources. That message I can agree with. But while I love to get out into the great outdoors for a few days and enjoy the peace and solitude, I am always glad to return to my busy, people-filled life in the city. Country living isn't for everyone (it's not for me) and living all alone at the end of the world would be bad for my mental health rather than being idyllic as is portrayed here. I am clearly the wrong audience for this book.

[Lynn]

Boy did this book zero in on exactly what I have been feeling lately!!!!! Sometimes we desperately need to step out of the world and feel the "soft loneliness."

Wonderfully written with words that somersault and play but also whisper what comes from the heart. Kevin Hawkes' illustrations put the feeling of the book into pictures.

I know it isn't just frazzled adults who will connect with this book. Way too many children will feel it was written for them. What a great book to use with ALL ages for discussion and writing prompts.

[Clare Vaughn]

M.T. Anderson has so much to say to young people, and does it in the most delightful, blunt, surprising ways. I adore his writing and his young adult novels, and I adored this book all the more. This book lingers on the alone time, and lends it a contentedness that you don't often see in children's books. It by no means ignores the benefits of social interaction, but it gives equal importance to spending time with yourself and what you need to be happy, rather than what society tells you that you need.

Not to mention the illustrations and setting are dreamy as can be. This book was a lovely mix of Shel Silverstein's emotional intuitiveness, Dr. Seuss' imagination, and M.T. Anderson's honest writing. Very recommended.

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship]

I found the message to be a little heavy handed, but still a nice concept. Kind of felt like a mix between Dr. Seuss' Lorax and pretty much anything from Chris Van Allsburg.

[Jessica Maddox]

GREAT story and GREAT illustrations. I really enjoyed this book.

[Nicole]

Could be a nice entrée into Adorno's work on the culture industry, though it has a happy ending.

[Carrie Gelson]

There is something about this book that is pute magic to me. It speaks of honouring simplicity, of the beauty of nature and the importance of solitude. Such a lovely book to discuss with a class. What does it mean? What does it mean to you? A transform book (Reading Power) So powerful!

[Dan]

A fantastic story about the beauty of being alone and the simple pleasures in life. A potentially great read aloud in conjunction with discussions about what is enough in our society.

[CHARISSA MITCHELL]

Summary: The main character and narrator of the book lives by himself at the End of the World and is very happy. Then, one day, an old man named Mr. Shimmer tells him that things were going to change there. Then, by and by, Mr. Shimmer builds and includes things such as an inn, gliders, things for skating and skiing, and much more. All these additions bring tourists and exciting things to do. It brings three children who visit quite frequently and become the narrators friends and they do a lot of fun things together with all of the things that Mr. Shimmer has included at the end of the world. However, by and by, the things that the narrator used to love to do in nature are no longer available. For example, the monsters no longer came for the lightning at the time of spring rains and he could not find bones of long monsters or ancient gold. So, as things became crazier and crazier and Mr. Shimmer advertised all fun and no thinking, finally, the narrator left and went to the top of the world, on a mountain where he still planned on visiting his friends, but he enjoyed living alone in nature.

My Thoughts: This is a very excellent book with a deep and powerful message that speaks directly to today and beautiful, vivid illustrations. The message that it carries across about how it is alright and enjoyable to be alone in nature is very important as children might feel like there is something wrong if they are alone, and children need to learn that it can be fun to be in nature and to think rather than constantly be bombarded by more and more entertainment and civilization.

Connection to Teaching: One, this book would add to a discussion of thinking versus fun, and how thinking is preferable. Two, this book would add to a discussion about the importance of preserving nature, such as national parks. Finally, this story helps teach the personal lessons that it is okay and healthy to be alone and to be away from high-tech entertainment.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book*]

Anderson, M.T. Me, All Alone, at the End of the World, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick Press, reissue 2017. $14.99.

A young boy lives all alone at the end of the world. He leads a slow, calm, contented existence. Until one day when a Mr. Shimmer arrives, determined to bring some fun and excitement to the end of the world! Shimmer builds an inn, leads tours, creates fun! fun! fun! all the time and generally creates chaos and noise in the once peaceful spot. The boy is initially caught up in the excitement until one day he realizes he misses the wind and his solitude.

This is one of those beautiful picture books that is written for adults. The message of simplicity and a little solitude being important in our chaotic world is a good one that will resonate with adults and maybe a bit with your more mature young adult readers. An English teacher could utilize this when teaching Walden, and perhaps homeroom teachers going for a larger moral lesson one day, but otherwise I think it will be best considered in the Gift category.

HS--OPTIONAL, GIFT--ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: TC
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...

[Nadine in NY Jones]

I found this book to be really blah, and excessively (really excessively!) wordy. Most pages are just a wall of words. I was really glad I wasn’t reading this aloud. The words occasionally have a fun rhyming pattern, but there are just too many words; I think only exceptional children will sit still for this entire book.

The art did nothing to enhance this book; Hawkes has a frenetic quasi-Seuss style which works well in some books, but I found to be really unappealing here.

And then there’s the message: it’s better to be alone, eating hardtack and gristle (seriously why the hell did Anderson decide those were the foodstuffs of choice???), instead of being at a resort with friends and lots of activities. The thing is: I LIKE to be alone. Most of the time, I prefer it. I like the sounds and sights of nature, and the resort depicted in this book did seem hellish. But this book just made me angry. Maybe my issue is that it implies that your only choices are two extremes: trapped in a Hotel California full of endless activity and noise, or completely isolated. Those choices are crap. I reject both choices.

[Mandie]

A lovely book about a boy who lives alone at the end of the world. While he is alone, he is happy and content. Until one day Mr. Shimmer brings the rest of the world there in a fantastical resort. For a short time, the boy is happy with new friends and the colorful, busy, excitement. After a while, it becomes too much and he leaves to find quiet again. While this book was written a couple decades ago now, it is a great metaphor for getting caught up in the hustle and bustle and shininess of online life, but then needing to retreat into the real world to reset.

[Sasha]

I wasn't expecting the author of "Feed" and the illustrator of "Chrysanthemum" and "Library Lion" to do a sort of "Walden" collab, but stranger things have happened in 2026 (like Florida snow!) I actually quite enjoyed this, and the message is very similar to George R.R. Martin's fabulous short story, "With Morning Comes Mistfall". Society is a good thing. Nature is a good thing. Moderation of each is a good thing. But they cannot coexist when corporate greed and tourism are left untrammeled.

[Julie]

What an intensely interesting book, from the evocative title to the story itself. A boy is happy with his peaceful, introverted solitude, which is shattered when a bombastic entrepreneur comes along. This book was certainly unique and I was unable to stop reading and eager to see how it ended. Well worth the time to read it--

[Sirah]

A boy lives alone at the end of the world where the wind whistles and the pine trees swish. Then a colorful man comes along with nonstop fun and friendships and activities and noise.

This book reflects on the value of quiet and natural spaces and questions what's really valuable in life. It's quite the thoughtful read, full of almost poetic emotion and fantastic illustrations.

[Fritz Loehrke]

Bleak and unsettlingly accepting of the destruction of the natural environment. The moral: you can just go find another place to settle and eventually attract ruin to... But still a fun story with nice pictures!

[Rachel]

Extremely unique. Like the combination of full color and line drawn illustrations, the story is oblique but has a message.

[Lori]

A book I liked and can easily relate to, but a book that I don't think many of my kids will ever check out.

[Andrée]

I bought this for the illustrations but loved some of the descriptions too - 'hard tack & gristle" - eeugh. Great that that the central character is so independent too

[Kelly]

This was a whimsical book.

[Jasmine]

I have no memory of this book, but I think it was about the horrors of industrialization and tourism?

[Christy]

One of those children's books that I borrow for my kids and then fall in love with myself.

[Katherine C. Hirstein]

3.5