Review by Booklist Review
This oversize look at Earth is more of an art book with short facts than an illustrated informational book. It presents brief explanations of Earth's origins, from the Paleozoic era to the present, elaborating on Earth's physical power, ecosystems and their inhabitants, and the human impact upon Earth. The latter includes details on migration, population growth, world wonders, different world cultures, influential figures, and the planet's sustainability. The small font can be difficult to read against colored pages of muted greens, blues, and browns. The artwork, though often detailed and lovely, is sometimes too chaotic; in the busy Tree of Life spread, for example, it's unclear what's being represented. There are factual inaccuracies, and information isn't always thoroughly presented (for example, the book states that brown rats are found in every well-populated urban area except one Canadian province, but doesn't say what that province is). Still, the design is appealing: cutout cover title, thick pages, and interesting artwork make this most useful for browsers, not researchers.--Rawlins, Sharon Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Though the Earth may seem vast, it's more fragile and mutable than people realize, Litton suggests in a far-reaching tour of the planet, which covers the formation and physical makeup of the Earth, life forms extinct and still present, regions and ecosystems, and the presence of humanity. Through a conversational and accessible narrative, Litton adeptly explains complex topics, such as the sheer scale of Earth's history ("You might be surprised to learn that less time separates us from T. Rex than separated T. Rex from Stegosaurus"), assisted by Hegbrook's handsome, softly textured graphics. Litton puts humanity's relatively brief presence on Earth, particularly in light of past extinctions and geological time, into sharp perspective, while highlighting the creatures, landscapes, and human accomplishments that have made the planet what it is. Ages 8-11. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3 Up-This fascinating oversize volume harbors a wealth of information relating to Earth. Divided into four sections-each made up of numerous maps, charts, diagrams, illustrations, and bits of wisdom in paragraphs of tiny print-the work highlights the movements of the continents over millions of years; natural formations such as mountains, geysers, etc.; ecoregions; the evolution and migration of humans; a sampling of human cultures from around the globe that continue ancient traditions; an introduction to 10 of the world's largest cities; a selection of "Influential Earthlings," from Lucy to J.K. Rowling; and more. A final, sobering look at threats to Earth considers the need to address the increasing numbers of superintelligent machines, climate change, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The arrangement, scope, and depth of this engaging presentation will captivate both youngsters and adults. VERDICT A browsable purchase for earth science collections.-Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Public Library, OH © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Litton (Hello World, 2016) and Hegbrook (Storyworlds: Nature, 2016) link up for a large-format "grand pictorial tour of our humble home."It's not a happy pairing. Along with a tendency to use dark background colors that render the narrative's small type difficult to read and nearly illegible in places, the illustrator shows a general disregard for clarity. He renders the Milky Way as a blotchy abstraction, for instance, fails to produce evidence beyond the desert rose for Litton's claim that the island of Socotra is "the most alien-looking place on Earth," and turns an already tangled "Tree of Life" into a bewildering mess with globs of superfluous, stylized leaves. The book has other weaknesses. The gallery of "Influential Earthlings" is diverse enough to include Lucy, Laika, and Henrietta Lacks, but an earlier international "Parade of People" includes only three women among the 17 figures. The author's overview of the Earth's history, its biosphere's regions and residents, and our human impact on the planet is chock-full of lively examples and sidelights, but the illustrations waste his efforts. Also, he doesn't always get his facts right: New Zealand's fiordland crested penguins do live in a rain forest but do not nest in trees, and Hiawatha did not "end wars across the Great Plains." The unpaged volume has no index, and maps are rare and heavily stylized. Ambitious of scope but a clumsy mismatch. (Nonfiction. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
