by James Gladstone (Author) Katherine Diemert (Illustrator)
It has taken billions of years for Earth to become the planet it is today. When Planet Earth Was New looks back to the very beginning, using a poetic approach grounded in scientific fact to give an overview of how the planet has changed over time: from hot lava to the formation of oceans to the evolution of living things in water and on land. The book also includes the relatively recent evolution of humans -- who are just a tiny speck in the sweep of Earth's history.
This broad look at the Earth is designed to inspire awe and inquiry. With STEM connections to biology, geology, evolution, and more, it is a springboard for discovery, discussion, and research. A striking design with full-spread, digitally enhanced watercolor art gives the book a rich, atmospheric feel. Back matter includes informational notes about each spread, as well as sources, an author's note, and a glossary.
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Gr 1-3--Beginning with the formation of Earth millions of years ago, this work introduces the concept of evolution in a picture book format. Simple text describes Earth's slow progression from a lifeless, hot, and gaseous place, hostile to living things, to a land of mountains, oceans, and early life-forms. Creatures of the seas, skies, and land either evolved or became extinct. The narrative emphasizes that our planet will continue to transform. Striking, slightly surreal illustrations complement the prose and offer much to contemplate, from an Earth covered in molten rock to a present-day city. The "Look Again" section offers readers a second chance to find more subtle details in the artwork. VERDICT A broad overview of the evolution of our planet, and a fine addition to science collections.--Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly at Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Debut talents Gladstone and Diemert neatly distill a complex concept--the sheer vastness of Earth's history, and how it evolved over billions of years--using evocative, conversational language and bold mixed-media artwork. The text grabs readers from the start, describing the planet billions of years ago, devoid of life: "You could not walk on the searing-hot molten rock that flowed there... or breathe the deadly poison gas that swirled there. Nothing could." A purposefully vague timeline and streamlined explanations lend a simple, poetic presence to each page ("A sky full of water vapor poured down as rain. For millions and millions and millions of years, it rained. The rain formed huge oceans"). Washed in a rainbow of neon colors, Diemert's inventive portrayals of nearly unfathomable times--a molten-red Earth assailed by meteors, marbled undersea rock formations, long-vanished species--will spark readers' imaginings of a nascent Earth. ("Human life is a speck in time in the history of old Earth," Gladstone notes.) A concluding "Look Again" section reproduces the 18 illustrations in miniature and provides details about the eras they represent. Ages 4-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.