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

Several animals in World of Wonders have unique navigational techniques. The narwhal’s long tooth gives it “some of the most directed echolocation of any animal” (36). Red-spotted newts have “excellent homing capabilities” (141), and monarch butterflies migrate based on memory and instinct. Chico the grey cockatiel also returns to Nezhukumatathil’s parents’ home after escaping. Nezhukumatathil includes these animals and their behaviors as metaphors with which she understands her own methods of navigating life and her search for a home. Like the butterflies flying around a nonexistent mountain, Nezhukumatathil can’t explain exactly what sparks her curiosity or what draws her to a particular place; it is physical and instinctive. Because she grew up moving from home to home, she feels a kinship with animals that travel long distances, searching for a suitable habitat.

While bird watching, one of Nezhukumatathil’s sons tells her “don’t worry, Mommy, you can hide in the forest from those bad people. You have good camouflage” (129). Here, her mixed-race son equates darker skin with camouflage; he has only a vague awareness of racial difference. Elsewhere in World of Wonders, Nezhukumatathil equates camouflage with her efforts to blend in with white peers. As a young girl in Kansas, she hides behind catalpa leaves to avoid the stares of her classmates.