EARTH

An overview of earth by Robbins (Water, 1994, etc.) presented in terms of the four basic elements (volumes on air and fire are forthcoming). A natural progression moves from the composition of the earth and forces that shape it, through what humans take from it. Robbins ends with the cycle of decay and rebirth common to all living things on the planet. The huge scale of the material covered in a relatively brief photo essay has the effect of collapsing readers' perceptions of space separating desert, mine, forest, mountain, seashore, and farm, and allowing them to readily see that the well- being of one part of the earth is linked to another. The muted tones and luminous atmosphere of the hand-colored photographs impart elegance and subtle importance to even the most ordinary subject matter, such as ``Pumping oil near Fargo, North Dakota.'' If the text occasionally exhorts readers about the need to protect the wetlands, or the harmful impact of population density, the serene photographs make a more poetic argument for treasuring our surroundings. A thoughtful plea for the environment, impassioned by the beauty and restraint of its presentation. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-9)