I Love Our Earth [Paperback]

Readers explore our home in this joyous tribute to the environment through poetic celebration of Earth's colors, climates, and seasons. Panoramic photographs capture the majesty of nature from swirling deserts to curling ocean waves. Close-ups reveal quieter treasures like springy moss and sunlit leaves. Tying all these wonders together are the faces of children from around the globe, reflecting our shared connection to the planet. Readers will delight in the simple text and rich photographs that depict only a fraction of what there is to love about this earth.A wee paean to the glories of nature, in an accessible format. There are very few words, lightly rhymed and slightly chunky: I love our Earth / when summer stars flicker, / and autumn leaves flame, / when winter flakes blow, / and spring blossoms show. The photographs, however, show several strengths. Each spread comprises a nature photo occupying a page plus half the facing page: mountain, sunset, ocean, snow. The other half-page contains the text and a small photo of a child, alone or with an adult. Each one of the pictures featuring a child invokes a color or a tone from the facing nature image, as when a ruddy moppet's green t-shirt picks up the great green of a meadow. Ecology for the very young.

—BooklistThe late Bill Martin Jr wrote more than 200 children's books, including the beloved classics CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM (Simon & Schuster) and BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE? (Henry Holt).
Author and former educator Michael Sampson has written 25 picture books, including the acclaimed I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE (Candlewick), which he co-authored with Bill Martin Jr. He lives in Commerce, Texas.KR