Tag: book review

World of Wonders-a book review

This post reviews “World of Wonders” by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, a collection of mini memoirs celebrating the marvels of nature. Through personal stories and insights, the author connects human lives to those of other living creatures, inviting readers to appreciate Earth’s diversity. Supported by exquisite illustrations, the book offers a captivating exploration of the extraordinary world around us.

updated November 7, 2025

WORLD OF WONDERS

In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments
by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
illustrated by Fumi Mini Nakamura

I frequently review health books on this blog, but you might not call World of Wonders a medical or health book. But if you’ve read some of my other book reviews, you realize I use that definition loosely. 

The Author-Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Aimee Nezhukumatathil teaches English and Creative Writing in the University of Mississippi’s MFA program. Born in Chicago to immigrant parents, she has lived in Kansas, Arizona, Ohio, Iowa, New York, and Florida. Now she resides in Oxford, Mississippi with her husband and children.

Aimee has won numerous awards for her poetry. This book was the Barnes and Noble Book of the Year 2020, which is how I found it, while browsing in the store.

CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Chicago Public Library, photo by Dr. Aletha

(The photos I’ve used in this post are from my personal albums, not from the book or connected to it.)  

The health/medical connection stems from the author’s parents, Paz and Mathew.  Ms. Nezhukumatathil’s parents worked in healthcare during her growing-up years. She dedicated this book to them. Now retired, they live in Florida and raise oranges.

a long billed white bird
a green iguana sitting on a ledge
two interesting creatures I encountered on a trip to Florida

Sometimes her parents lived apart, while working in different states. Her father, an immigrant to the United States from India, worked long hours as a respiratory therapist in a neonatal intensive care unit, NICU, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.

Yet every weekend we headed for the hiking trails of Camelback Mountain. I never saw any other Asian American there; I don’t know if my father noticed…I didn’t know anyone else’s dad who took the time to do this with his kids. 

Three tall saguaro and other cacti I photographed at a resort near Phoenix Arizona

During one assignment, the author and her sister lived with their mother in Kansas-on the grounds of a mental hospital. As a Filipina foreign-born psychiatrist, she treated mentally ill persons, some of whom “hurled racist taunts and violent threats” against her regularly. 

We lived on the grounds of the mental institution, something no kids had done in decades, and the school district had to create a bus stop just for us. When I climbed the steps, I imagined myself a narwhal, with one giant snaggletooth-a saber-to knock into anyone who asked if my sister and I were patients there. 

The Book’s Themes

Other than that, World of Wonders is not about medicine, at least not human medicine. Although there is a chapter about the Southern Cassowary, Casuarius Casuarius,  a bird that can and does kill people.

All chapters are named for and describe a variety of common, familiar animals and plants-

  • Peacock Pavo cristatus
  • Monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus
  • Firefly Photinus pyralis
  • Octopus-Octopus vulgaris
a monarch waystation to aid the butterflies' migration
a waystation in Oklahoma for monarchs on the annual migration

But she also describes in detail strange, unique creatures I had never heard of. 

  • Axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum
  • Touch-me-not Mimosa pudica
  • Narwhal Monodon monoceros
  • Catalpa tree Catalpa speciosa
marine animals in an acquarium
marine life at the Shedd Acquarium, Chicago

In the essay Flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber,  she reminisces about her freshman year in college when she and her girlfriends would go out dancing with an assortment of young men. 

We were like flamingos flying long distance, mostly at night. So many kidnappings happen in the dark, when we think we are safe, in a routine, in a place where “bad things like that” just don’t happen. When a flamingo flies in daylight, it does look comical, its long legs dragging down under the fluff of feathered torso.

Someone called the police to say they found her body the next day at a local park. 

Aimee is enamored over the Corpse Flower, Amorphophallus titanum, known for its “seriously foul smell.” She  dated a man who “didn’t wince when I said inflorescence.” He wanted to see a corpse flower for himself despite it being a plant whose smell is similar to 

what emanates from the bottom of a used diaper pail, a tin of sardines, and blue cheese salad dressing left out in the August sun

Since he was the only man who ever expressed such an interest, and who did in fact take a road trip with her to see a corpse flower, it’s not surprising he’s now her husband.

Throughout the essays (as the chapters were originally published) Aimee weaves stories about her life with her knowledge and insights about the unique plants and animals she loves to discover and explore. Sometimes it’s hard to tell where one leaves off and the other begins, as this excerpt from the essay Red-spotted Newt, Notophthalmus viridescens–

I look back at the many moves my family made during my childhood and I begin to understand the red-spotted newt more clearly. (it) spends years wandering the forest floor before it discovers a pond to finally call home.

When you spend as long …in a search like this, you grow pickier, more discerning…

The Illustrator- Fumi Mini Nakamura

As much as I enjoyed the prose, the illustrations by artist Fumi Mini Nakamura are worth buying the book . The drawings complement the writing perfectly.

Fumi was born in Japan and at 12 years old moved to the United States where she and her family lived in Northern California. She graduated from San Jose State University with a BFA in Pictorial Arts.

Why I liked this book

 In these mini memoirs, Aimee shows us that our lives are not that different from the other living creatures with which we share this planet. By discovering the unique features of these non-human beings, we may better appreciate the diversity of earth’s human inhabitants.

In its pages she invites us to join her in discovering a World of Wonders.

Don’t take my word for it ; listen to the author explain why she wrote this book and hear her read an excerpt.

exploring the HEART of a World of Wonders

a statue of Dorothy and Toto from the Wizard of Oz
Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Aimee is not in Kansas now.
This statue is in a park in Chicago where I took this photo

I hope you enjoyed exploring World of Wonders with me. Please consider purchasing a copy through BOOKSHOP.ORG. (This is an affiliate link.)

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Post Images

I took all of the photos in this post. The cover image is from a wall mural at the Tulsa Zoo in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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We believe bookstores are essential to a healthy culture and they are dedicated to the common good.

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I’d love for you to follow this blog and follow me on social media.

I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.

Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

Dr. Aletha

Nurture a Generous Heart at Christmas and Beyond

This post talks aboit giving, how and why. It contrasts the self-awareness of generosity, illustrated through characters like George Bailey from “It’s a Wonderful Life” and Ebenezer Scrooge from “A Christmas Carol.” Both highlight life’s impact through generosity.

updated December 20, 2025

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 

When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—to call attention to their acts of charity! ….they have received all the reward they will ever get. 

But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 

Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

Matthew chapter 6, verses 1-4-NLT

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

There are affiliate links in this post; if you make a purchase through them, you help fund this blog.

Photo by ROMAN ODINTSOV on Pexels.com

How to Give Generously

Stay anonymous?

Have you ever made a charitable donation online or by mail, where they asked you to check a box “make my donation anonymous”? is that what the Bible means by “giving gifts in private”.

And be rewarded?

The Bible scripture passage quoted above, from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, seems to tell us we should give in secret, not letting anyone else know.

But Bible scholars interpret it less literally. Considering it in the context of the whole sermon, they suggest we shouldn’t give just to impress people nor brag about what we give, not that it always has to be secretive (although sometimes it should be.)

Giving from the Left or Right

I don’t think Jesus was making a political statement here. Nor was he just using hyperbole, an exaggerated statement or claim not meant to be taken literally. But I do think he was using it to make a point.

Because not knowing one side of one’s body is a real thing.

Hemispatial Neglect

People with the syndrome of hemispatial neglect experience reduced awareness of stimuli on one side of space. This may occur after damage to the brain due to a stroke or trauma.

People with hemispatial neglect are often unaware of their condition. Friends or relatives might suggest they look to their neglected side but that instruction misunderstands the problem they have with navigating the space around them… people are not aware that something is missing, so why would they seek it out?

the Guardian.com
an MRI image of a human brain
A single image of a human brain using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. Source: Dr. Leon Kaufman. University Of California, San Francisco Creator: Unknown Photographer used courtesy National Cancer Institute

So imagine not knowing what’s on the left side of your body. Well, that’s how generous we should be; give (as if) we don’t know what we gave.

(Obviously, if we take that too literally, and waste our money,we limit our ability to be generous; we still need to be financially prudent. )

The man who didn’t know what he had given

Every year at Christmas time a classic movie makes its way to network television and streaming services. Like many famous movies, the script was adapted from a book, or rather a short story titled “The Greatest Gift”.

George was a man who had a good life until things started going wrong, so badly that he concluded his life had been a failure and he had never done anything right or good in his entire life. He even contemplated suicide.

That is until a mystery “person” came along and showed him how the world would have been without George’s life and good deeds. Poverty, crime, unemployment, alcohol abuse, and even deaths would have occurred had it not been for George’s life. And he had no idea!

His left hand didn’t know what his right hand had done.

Of course you know I’m talking about George Bailey from the classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life, released in January 1947, nominated for 5 Academy Awards, and considered one of the best films ever made. But most people like it because it’s a feel-good movie that can make you laugh and cry.

Each man’s life touches so many other lives .

It’s a Wonderful Life

If you’re unfamiliar with the story or want to review your favorite parts, you can ask to join the It’s a Wonderful Life Facebook Group.

Ba-humbug! The man who didn’t give

Of course, Ebenezer Scrooge of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol didn’t have George’s problem. He knew exactly what he had done to help others-nothing!

It took dying (almost) and three scary visitors to show Ebenezer how stingy his hands had been, never giving anything away, and convincing him that generosity was better than miserliness and loneliness. At the end of the story, both of his hands were busy passing out food and gifts to strangers, friends, and family.

I will honor Christmas in my heart. Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens- graphic by LIGHTSTOCK.COM

George, Scrooge, and Us

Like George, all of us have done acts of service, kindness, and giving that have made someone’s life better, whether we know it or not.

And like Scrooge, we’ve all missed chances to be generous, to “go the extra mile”, and to treat others the way we want to be treated.

And like both George and Scrooge, it’s never too late to cultivate a gracious heart and generosity.

Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.
1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 18

 

I wrote more about Dickens at this link

Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol

Here is a post about Charles Dickens, a renowned English writer, of “A Christmas Carol” and “The Pickwick Papers.” His storytelling introduced terms like Pickwickian syndrome, reflecting his influence on culture and health. Dickens also advocated for children’s hospitals through powerful speeches, merging his literary talent with social responsibility .

and at this post about generosity

Living and giving lavishly

Therefore, because God is so generous to us, we’re to be lavishly generous to others. Who has been “lavishly generous” to you?

Sharing the HEART of generosity and giving

I’d love for you to follow this blog and follow me on social media.

I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.

Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

Thanks, Dr. Aletha

please share this post

Generous Measures

My friend Ric Shields wrote a book about generosity, titled Generous Measures.

“one minute lessons with a lifetime of value“

Download a FREE copy.

¡También disponible en español!

generous-measures-e-bookDownload
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