🌎Two Books for Earth Day, April 22, 2019

Earth Day is April 22nd and I would like to share two of my new favorite books that help kids learn to appreciate the earth and all its magnificence and to hopefully instill a desire to take care of it. First up is...

A Brief History of Life on Earth 

written and illustrated by Clémence Dupont

Prestel Junior, 2019, 76 pages

This history of the earth and its inhabitants unfolds over time in this accordion-style book, taking readers from the very beginning of earth's life 4.6 billion years ago when it was just a boiling hot ocean, through each period of growth and formation, past, for example, the now familiar Jurassic Period to the present day or Holocene Epoch and beyond. As readers turn the pages, they can explore each of the 16 ages in the earth's life and see what changes each contributed, including the formations of oceans, volcanoes, lands, forests, mountains, as well as life forms such as plants, fish, birds, insects, and animals (which would include mankind).

Each age has a paragraph long clear and coherent explanation describing that period, with simple, labeled illustrations on every page. The illustrations are done in a folk art style, and in soft earth tones to match each era.

Young readers will want to explore each page extensively, so be prepared for lots of questions. This is the kind of book that will lead many to want visit the nearest natural history museum for more understanding and subsequent continued readings of this wonderful book. The accordion-style unfolds to 26 feet, which just happens to be the same length as a triceratops. When the book is unfolded to its complete length, you really get the idea of how old the earth is and what a wonderful place of change and evolution it is, which makes the last page all that much more poignant and important - a single human standing on a glacier that is melting, asking the question of all readers "And what now?" The future of earth is in our hands and how we treat it now will determine its future.  Turn the unfolded book over and there is a timeline of earth's first 4.6 billion years. This is the book I have been using to introduce my young readers to Earth Day and its importance, but it's a book we will be going back to again and again. It is just that wonderful. 

Wilderness: Earth's Amazing Habitats by Mia Cassany,

illustrated by Marcos Navarro

Prestel Junior, 2019, 48 pages

Here is an oversized book that can go hand in hand with A Brief History of Life on Earth because life needs a habitat and this is the book that will tell all about the different kinds of habitats many of the earth's creatures call home. Here you can read about the 16 natural habitats covering only about 5% of earth's surface around the world, and each one is trying to save the animal and plant life that live in them from becoming extinct because of climate change, deforestation and human intervention. Begin your round-the-world journey of these habitats with a helpful map of the world showing just were each one is located, and, as Mia Cassany writes, "Welcome to the most stunning nature show on earth." 

And that is an understatement. Each two-page spread gives the name and location of the habitat being highlighted. Some are protected by the county in which are are located, others are national parks, or UNESCO World Heritage sites, chosen because they have plant and animals living in them that are unique to that area in particular, and the earth in general. Information specific to the location and type of animals there are covered with detailed illustrations that depict them in their natural environment. As you can see, the habitats are located in a wide variety of countries and climates. For example, habitats found in rain forests and other tropical locations may have very similar damp climates, but they also have very different plants and animals from each other. In contrast, the cacti in the dry Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley in Mexico is totally different, but they can survive a dry climate because of their ability to store their own water. On the other hand, the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve is so big it has a diverse climate and that means a diverse animal and plant populations. 

The illustrations, as you can see, are magnificent, done in bright colors and chock full of big and small details for young readers to explore. Curious kids will appreciate the last 6 pages designed to help readers find out more about what is in each of the 16 natural environments illustrated. And, while Wilderness does not give in-depth information about each habitat and the life each supports, it is certainly a excellent stepping stone to more explorations.

I can't recommend these books highly enough for your young readers Earth Day celebrations and activities.  

To learn more about Earth Day and what you can do, be sure to visit the Earth Day Network