Earth

March 1, 2010
Gently urging, emotionally resonant text describes the impacts of global warming—“Because the Arctic keeps getting warmer... the bear can't gain the weight she needs to raise a cub”—followed by variations on a plaintive refrain: “Who can help the polar bear?” The sickly palette of Wallace's oil paintings emphasizes a planet in need: wildfire threatens an orangutan; a water hole dries up. In the end, three children plant a tree on a hill: “a caribou, a pika, and even a Bengal tiger cannot stop the warming. Who can? People can!” Ages 4–8.

March 1, 2010
Gr 1-3-Full-page, full-color illustrations demonstrate the plight of many animals throughout the world brought about by climate changes. From polar bears unable to reach hunting grounds, to the Alaska caribou and the South African long-nosed fly, each of a dozen animals is shown as affected by changes in habitat, food supply, migration patterns, and drought as a result of global warming. On every page, readers are asked, "Who can help?" with the final answer, "People can!" Unfortunately, the energy-saving suggestions that are offered do not directly address the animals in crisis. The picture-book format is effective and lovely to look at, but the bleak outlook suggested for these creatures may be too grim for the intended audience without accompanying adult discussion or possible positive remedies."Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2009
Grades K-3 From a polar bear in the Arctic to a butterfly on a Californian prairie, this handsome picture book shows the threat of global warming, one creature at a time. An orangutan in Borneo escapes a wildfire in its dried-out forest, but afterward, it cant find food or shade. An orange-spotted filefish searches for a meal of coral polyps among the bleached skeleton of the too-warm Great Barrier Reef. On each double-page spread, the detailed oil paintings pair with rhythmic text (Glaciers are melting, seas rising), and each grim scenario ends with the same urgent question: Who can help? The climactic closing spread gives the reassuring answer: People can! An accompanying world map shows the habitat of each creature and emphasizes the sense of global connections among all living beings, while a final page features practical suggestions for kids to practice conservation in their daily lives.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2010
Guiberson's New-Agey text touches on ways global warming is disrupting different animals' habitats and food chains. On opposite pages, Wallace's illustrations suggest the sickly heat overtaking the earth. Who can help? "PEOPLE CAN!" A final page of suggestions (recycle, turn off the lights) doesn't specifically speak to the animals' plights.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)