I Love Our Earth

Children's Literature

The text in this book is a single poem of praise for our earth that threads its way through splendid photographs of people and places around the world. The message of taking pleasure in observing the beauty that surrounds us is as clear and sharp as the images captured by the talented Lipow. This title does more than double duty as an appropriate title for any Earth Day celebration and a suitable entry for National Poetry Month. It is also a wonderful look at other cultures and earth science discoveries, stimulating questions about the where and whys of the pictures. Universally appealing, this title gives us common experiences of appreciating the world around us and, possibly, prompting readers to want to explore the various geographic regions or to think about how we can all strive together to preserve this beautifully depicted earth. Teachers, parents, or anyone sharing this book can also use it to teach about colors, seasons, counting, locating patterns, as well as training the observant eye to spot similar moments they would want to capture forever. 2006, Charlesbridge, Ages all.
—Sheilah Egan

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-Martin's simple poem celebrates the colors of varied landscapes and the glories of the seasons. Each line of text appears on half a page, under a photo of a child. The rest of each spread is devoted to a panoramic vista. The boys and girls, of varying ages, come from many racial and ethnic groups from around the globe. The jacket flap notes that Lipow took his photos on five continents. However, no information about any of the locales is included in captions or in the endnotes. This omission limits the title's possibilities as a springboard for further exploration and discussion. The book might serve as an introductory read-aloud choice for very young children on occasions such as Earth Day, but its range is limited. G. Brian Karas couples his celebration of Earth's wonders with basic science in On Earth (Penguin, 2005). Judith Nicholls's compilation of earth-related poems in The Sun in Me (Barefoot, 2003) includes a variety of styles -Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.