Introducing our Magnificent Planet Earth

by: Sarah Momo Romero

Last year, three very adorable additions to my family were introduced to the world- my adorable little nephew and my best friend’s twins! I immediately grabbed the opportunity to start adding to their library, and these two books about our amazing planet Earth are a great introduction to the planet we live on for little ones who are just coming into it. This month, I want to share Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years and Here We Are, Notes for Living on Planet Earth, two different perspectives about Earth, with amazing illustrations and fun-facts about our favorite planet. ​

Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years by Earth and written by Stacy McAnulty and illustrated by David Litchfield introduces us to Earth as a very spunky “Planet Awesome”. McAnulty creates such a distinctive voice for Earth, a planet who teaches us about her “siblings” and hanging out with her best friend, moon. Earth is a high-spirited character, sharing her baby photos and taking us through the jurassic times, and even a scary encounter with an asteroid!
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Litchfield created the illustrations for this book with “pencils, ink, watercolor paints, and digital art tools”, resulting in vivid and eye-catching images of Earth, the other planets and even dinosaurs. My personal favorite style for illustrations are ones full of texture and gestural paint strokes, and this one is chock full of them (just look at the close-up of the dinosaur page below1`- there are so many awesome layers in there! And the Milky Way spiral just makes me want to stare at it and ponder our universe). Litchfield’s lively portrayal of Earth really brings McAnulty’s voice for this girl-planet to life, making this educational book a fun one for readers young and old. 

Here We Are, Notes for Living on Planet Earth written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, takes a warm and heartfelt approach to teaching us about Earth. Written during the first two months of his son’s life, this book gives all little ones an overview of all the things we know about living on Earth. From the different landscapes of our planet, to the animals and people who inhabit it, Jeffers also adds the intricate details and scenarios to discover with each reading.  

And just as Jeffers is known to do, and does so well, he adds his touch of humor along with the intricate details and scenarios to discover with each reading. Although I couldn’t find details for the artwork medium for Here We Are, just as Earth!, the illustrations here are created in rich colors, interesting textures and washes that make Jeffer’s illustrations so great.

In the end, one of the best things about both these books are not only the facts kids can learn about the Earth, but a great lesson we can instill in them- we only have one Earth, let’s be kind and take care of it and each other.
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Bonus: It was extra exciting for me to discover Here We Are, as I had the chance to meet Oliver Jeffers and buy signed copies of his wonderful book for my own library, and for my nephew’s.

Do you have a favorite picture book about our planet Earth? I'd love to hear about it!

Sarah Momo Romero is a Japanese Peruvian American artist, a graphic designer by day and children's book author and illustrator by night.  She’s loved drawing and painting since she was a chiquita and now crafts stories of adventure and wondrous creatures.  Sarah is an active SCBWI member who draws inspiration from her life in sunny Los Angeles with her husband/creative partner and dog/infamous escape artist, Peanut.  Look out for her first picture book, "Wake Up, Little Bat!" coming out in the Fall of 2018!

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​You can find more of Sarah's musings and drawings here:
www.sarahmomoromero.com
​Facebook: Sarah Momo Romero + Instagram: @sarahmomoromero + Twitter: @sarahmomoromero