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OUR EARTH by Anne Rockwell

OUR EARTH

by Anne Rockwell & illustrated by Anne Rockwell

Pub Date: Sept. 1st, 1998
ISBN: 0-15-201679-1
Publisher: Harcourt

Rockwell (One Bean, p. 501, etc.) joins simple lines of text and soft-colored, rudimentary drawings to convey some of the important concepts in geography. The line, “Our earth is where I live,” accompanies a cozy cottage and yard; “It is a big, round globe” appears with a shot of the earth in space. Among the topics, given a page each, are the North Pole and South Pole, the work of glaciers, the formation of volcanoes, the flow of streams to rivers, and various habitats and biomes. The transition from page to page may be troublesome for some readers, who are not given any sense of passing time or consistent perspectives. For example, dinosaurs in a swamp appear opposite a tree-covered hill and daisy-covered meadow that are part of a discussion of glaciers, past and present. One page shows the continent of North America in outline, while the facing page shows a close-up of a tropical island as if viewed from a boat offshore. The stylized drawings make geography accessible and relevant; pair this book with more straightforward treatments to avoid confusion, and expect plenty of discussion. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-7)