Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years: Our Universe, Book 1
By Regan McMahon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Our planet tells its own history in fun, kid-friendly way.
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What's the Story?
In EARTH! MY FIRST 4.54 BILLION YEARS, our planet is the friendly narrator who talks about the other planets as the "seven siblings in my solar system" and the moon as a best friend. "We hang out all the time, even when you can't see her." Earth relays its basic history: It was born 4.54 billion years ago, but plants, bugs, animals, and humans came much later -- the humans only 200,000 years ago. Back matter describes (in brief) continents, Earth's place in the Milky Way, and how the Earth supports life in the ocean and on land, with notes about the period of the dinosaurs, mentions of volcanic activity and climate change, and a list of sources.
Is It Any Good?
This fresh, lively picture book covers basic Earth history in a fun, engaging way that will delight kids and teach them lots of scientific facts. Thanks to its friendly narrator -- the Earth itself -- and David Litchfield's bright cartoon-style illustrations, Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years draws kids in and teaches them about our planet's place in the solar system, the development of continents, plant and animal life, and human inhabitants. Concepts are stated in ways kids can easily understand, such as: "My favorite things to do are spinning -- it takes me a whole day to go around once -- and circling the sun. That takes me an entire year." The book works both as nonfiction and as a cute story with a cheerful main character.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the planets are portrayed in Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years. How does having them look like people -- with smiling faces and waving arms -- help draw you into the story?
What are some of the things you learned about Earth that you didn't know?
Which continent do you live on? Which others would you like to visit?
Book Details
- Author: Stacy McAnulty
- Illustrator: David Litchfield
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Bugs, Ocean Creatures, Science and Nature, Space and Aliens, Wild Animals
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Henry Holt
- Publication date: October 24, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: April 2, 2021
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