World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments

Aimee Nezhukumatathil is an American poet and the author of several collections of poetry. She also teaches English at the University of Mississippi. She is both the narrator and main character in World of Wonders. Throughout the book, she reflects on lessons she’s learned, places she’s lived, and her relationships with her family and the natural world. She shares her considerable knowledge of plants and animals and her concern for the preservation of wildlife across the globe. While her family members appear in many essays and are important characters, the book’s focus is primarily on Aimee’s personal growth and feelings.

Because her parents move several times throughout her childhood, Nezhukumatathil often feels lonely and vulnerable in new schools. These feelings are exacerbated by the fact that she is often one of very few children of color in predominantly white neighborhoods. She deals with these feelings by staying quiet, hiding, and learning to assimilate with her white peers. In her essay titled “Axolotl,” Nezhukumatathil describes how she learned to smile and ignore racial microaggressions from her classmates when they told her how to use makeup. In “Catalpa Tree,” “Narwhal,” and “Vampire Squid,” she tries to hide and escape her white classmates' judgment.