How can we support the planet?
Tessa’s grandfather used to be an explorer and loves talking about the Earth. Inspired, Tessa decides to write a letter to the Earth, explaining that she, too, wants to be an explorer and describing where she’d like to go, incorporating detail both factual (“Most of your surface is covered in water”) and poetic (“I want to dive into your deep oceans and see shoals of swirling fish”). Inventive illustrations with whimsical proportions and perspectives show Tessa as she imagines swimming, running, and flying her way across the globe, full of excitement and curiosity as she investigates different natural features, environments, plants, and animals. The book ends with Grandpa reassuring Tessa—and readers—that the planet can still be saved, and informative and inviting backmatter describes the effects of climate change as well as ways that kids can make a difference. This love letter to the planet provides a shimmering introduction to the natural wonder of the Earth and an age-appropriate explanation of the challenges it faces, complete with a message about activism and hope. Tessa and her grandfather are both brown-skinned. A loving appreciation of the Earth that blends facts and flights of fancy. (Informational picture book. 3-8) –Kirkus Reviews
The beauty and marvels of the planet take center stage in a passionate picture book love letter to Earth written by Isabel Otter (This Love). Accompanied by illustrator Clara Anganuzzi’s dramatic illustrations, the missive makes for a persuasive argument in favor of conservation and a delightful way to introduce the ideas to a young audience. Otter’s child protagonist, Tessa, has the same wild hair, light-brown complexion and rounded figure as her grandpa, who “had been an explorer once.” Tessa, inspired by Grandpa’s adventures, writes a letter telling the planet about all the miraculous sights she plans to see and all the exciting experiences she intends to savor: “kiss the butterflies”; “slide down desert dunes”; “join in with the hullabaloo of the birds and monkeys.” The letter takes the audience through different biomes portrayed in dazzling colors by Anganuzzi’s inviting and beguiling art. Anganuzzi (Violet’s Tempest) uses the book’s orientation to enhance Tessa’s travels, flipping her illustrations from landscape to portrait and back again as the girl dives underwater or flies with birds. Tessa concludes her letter by acknowledging the delicate nature of Earth. “You are full of such wonder, but you’re fragile, and you need love and care.” Rich back matter offers young readers ways they can provide assistance, as well as a template so they can write a letter of their own. Otter’s charming picture book shows readers the vast and awe-inspiring planet while reminding them it’s up to everyone to keep it safe and habitable. Dear Earth is a letter worth sharing. –Shelf Awareness
Building from the titular address, a child’s epistolary appreciations form the basis of this landscape-focused ode. Inspired by stories of global adventure from her grandfather, who “had been an explorer once,” young Tessa decides to write a letter to Earth. Sharing visions of ecological grandeur and hopes for her own travel-filled future, she expresses interest in visiting arctic ice floes, desert dunes, and mangrove forests, and encountering the many creatures that call these habitats home. Washed in pale colors, Anganuzzi’s soft-edged paintings, which alternate between horizontal and vertical orientation, offer attendant images of biodiverse landscapes. In one spread, the child, easily identifiable in a red shirt, hangs from a vine alongside various species: “Up in your rain/ forest canopy,/ I would join/ in with the hullabaloo of the/ birds and/ the monkeys.” Otter’s direct text impresses a straightforward message of environmentalism; closing with an acknowledgment of the planet’s fragility, the protagonist offers an earnest wish for healing. Characters are portrayed with brown skin. Information about climate change concludes. Ages 3–7. –Publishers Weekly
Children’s Books to Celebrate Earth Day. April 22, is Earth Day, an annual global event to support environmental protection. Here are some excellent recent children’s books that bring kids into nature–both close to home and far away–and show them the world in need of saving.The beauty and marvels of the planet take center stage in the passionate picture book love letter Dear Earth by Isabel Otter (Tiger Tales, $18.99, ages 3-7). Accompanied by Clara Anganuzzi’s dramatic illustrations, the missive makes for a persuasive argument in favor of conservation, and a delightful way to introduce these ideas to a young audience.Otter’s child protagonist, Tessa, has the same wild hair, light-brown complexion and rounded figure as her grandpa, who “had been an explorer once.” Tessa, inspired by Grandpa’s adventures, writes a letter telling the planet about all the miraculous sights she plans to see, and all the exciting experiences she intends to savor. The letter takes the audience through different biomes portrayed in dazzling colors by Anganuzzi’s inviting and beguiling art. Tessa concludes her letter by acknowledging the delicate nature of Earth. Comprehensive, accessible back matter offers young people ways to provide assistance, as well as a template so they can write a letter of their own. Otter’s charming picture book shows readers the vast and awe-inspiring planet while reminding them it’s up to everyone to keep it safe and habitable. –Shelf Awareness
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