Touch the Earth (White Feather Flier Adventure #1)

Lennon's debut picture book, the first in a planned trilogy, asks readers to hop aboard a magical airplane, the White Feather Flier (a name inspired by his father and his own environmental and humanitarian foundation), and go on a "helping adventure" to protect the planet's oceans and water supply. The tactile theme of the title is a tip-off to the authors' narrative approach: readers are asked to tilt the book as if operating the plane's steering wheel ("Point the book south to swoop down low for a closer look"), and most spreads include a "button," a silvery circle, intended to help readers pretend they're part of the action ("Push the water button to help irrigate the desert"). It will probably be too quaint for older children, especially when coupled with the earnest, lightly pedantic text ("Fish are beautiful and important for so many people"), but members of the lap-sitting set should be intrigued. Coh's (The Seven Princesses) drawings aren't particularly distinctive, but they have a sweet-natured directness that may light up younger eyes. Ages 3-6. Authors' agents: Robert Gottlieb and Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media Group. Illustrator's agency: Bright Agency. (Apr.)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2--Follow the White Feather Flier around the globe to discover places that need help with access to water. This adventure is designed to help readers "touch the earth" by learning how to take care of it. The story includes a place where people need water to drink, a deep ocean that needs to be cleaned so that fish will return, a parched desert, and a town that needs its water filtered so people can drink it. With soft, colorful illustrations and simple language, this work is attractive, but the heavy message about the importance of keeping water clean and accessible is not presented effectively. The tale is interactive, in the vein of Herve Tullet's Press Here and Bill Cotter's Don't Push the Button!, but the interactions are shallow. For example, touching a button labeled "FISH" results in fish returning to a previously polluted ocean, but there is nothing valuable in the text that would allow children to practice the book's message in their own neighborhoods. This same level of oversimplification prevails throughout. The regions without access to clean water are places that are populated by people of color and are overseas, which implies that this is a problem found only in certain parts of the world, even though this is a global crisis that affects all races. VERDICT This title fills a need for materials about environmental issues aimed at the kindergarten set, but it's a pass for most collections.--Paige Garrison, The Davis Academy, Sandy Springs, GA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

I've always admired Julian Lennon's singing, because for all he has seen of the world, his melodies contain such childlike wonder... his words too. Buy this book, and his words turn into actions. -Bono 

It's rare to find a beautiful book that speaks directly to kids, in both a playful and thoughtful way, about something as important as caring for our planet and all of its inhabitants. Touch The Earth combines this magic with true hand-to-page interactivity deftly woven into the narrative (and illustrations), creating a story I believe both kids and adults will want to read over and over again. -Laurie Berkner 

When a book takes you on an adventure, it's a good thing and allows you to think about something in a new way. When a book also reminds us how to treat what we have, it's even better because it's a win win. That's exactly what Julian has done with his book... he's given us a Win Win. - Whoopi Goldberg 

The first in Julian Lennon's White Feather Flier Adventure trilogy, Touch the Earth takes readers on a journey in a magical plane that allows them to send clean water to the thirsty, clean oceans of pollution, and 'make the world a better place.' - New York Magazine

[Touch the Earth] is a fun book AND it's an educational one as well.... The book helps teach kids a wonderful lesson for Earth Day and every day beyond. - Peanut Butter and Whine

The artwork is beautiful... It really is stunning. - TODAY

I was immediately impressed with the interactive nature of the book. Although not all books lend themselves to this style, books that include elements of interactivity help resonate with kids more so when there's a lesson to be learned. Some books ask questions of kids, and some books, like this one, encourage kids to touch the picture, lean into the story, and really feel like they're in the book. - Motherhood Moment

A very timely book.... A children's book, if done well, and this one is, lives on and on. - Al Roker 

A passion project that comes from the heart, this stunningly illustrated book is inspired by the white feather he was given by his father when he was young. -Mom and More

*****

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