Perma-Bound from Publisher's Hardcover ©2020 | -- |
Publisher's Hardcover ©2020 | -- |
Imagination. Juvenile fiction.
Extraterrestrial beings. Juvenile fiction.
Letters. Juvenile fiction.
Extraterrestrial beings. Fiction.
Letters. Fiction.
Earth (Planet). Juvenile fiction.
Earth (Planet). Fiction.
Starred Review The cover establishes the concept with a young boy looking up from Earth, drawing on a long roll of paper that spirals into the sky. His message is being received by a spaceship, hovering close to the sun. As he adds narrative to his pictures, he sends an invitation: "Dear Visitor from Outer Space, / If you come to Earth, / here's what you need to know." Hand-lettering furthers the feeling that the boy is writing the words himself. With ink-and-watercolor art that is vivid, delicate, and precise, Blackall composes intricate spreads that express the vast diversity of the planet, ranging from wider scopes e solar system, land, and sea closer up mes, transportation, families, bodies, food, and animals. The boy describes people communicating with words, sign language, Braille, art, and music. The sense is that if you are on Earth, you belong, though the boy also acknowledges that bad things happen here. Some don't have enough to eat; lose homes to fire, flood, or war; get sick or have accidents. Nonetheless, he thinks visitors would find his world beautiful. As a two-time Caldecott winner, Blackall is deservedly celebrated, and here she pairs her accomplished artwork with a story children will want to read and a message that resonates. This is one to take your time with, savor, and share with others.
School Library Journal Starred Review (Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2020)PreS-Gr 1 If visitors came to Earth, what would they need to know? A young boy, Quinn, writes a letter to potential visitors in Blackall's stunning new book. Her signature Chinese ink and watercolor illustrations will draw children in for repeat readings to pore over each detail, such as the portraits of people from diverse backgrounds, from a construction worker and a firefighter to Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. Images such as a two-page spread of different types of birds arranged in the shape of a bird invite dialogue from prereaders, expanding their background knowledge about animals, transportation, or kinds of houses. Each page is well researched and inclusive, as Blackall depicts the many different people who live in the world. The inclusivity of various abilities is especially notable, including the American Sign Language alphabet, images of Braille, different types of families, and people using wheelchairs. The author's note tells how she came to know the real Quinn, an Australian boy with dark hair and light skin. VERDICT With its gorgeous and intricate illustrations, this is perfect for sharing one on one, and is recommended for most collections. Jessica Ko, Los Angeles P.L.
Horn Book (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)Quinn, a small child in a red gnome hat, writes a letter to potential visitors to our planet to explain to them what we're about: our location in the universe, our geography, our natural world, and the varied ways we humans manage housing, clothing, transportation, family life, and getting along. It's a promising (and idealistic) premise, and Blackall deftly captures the approach and tone of a child writer. "Fish can swim but they can't walk. Most animals can walk or swim or gallop or hop, but they can't fly. Some birds can swim and walk and fly, so if I had to choose, I'd be a bird." The true delight of the book, however, lies in its stunning illustrations. Each page features a dynamic, energetic composition, a wealth of precise detail arranged in unexpected ways. For instance, a flock of various birds forms the shape of a single bird if you squint. There are games to play, from finding Quinn in the crowd to recognizing some famous people among the field of folk that Blackall portrays (Ella Fitzgerald, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Carla Hayden, to name a few). The robust subtext is diversity in all the usual areas as well as quirkier ones, such as all the different ways humans can arrange our legs to sit comfortably on a picnic blanket. Sweet, funny, moving, timely, and beautiful.
Kirkus ReviewsTo take care of one another and the Earth, we must truly see one another as unique and valued.A young child with light beige skin, wispy brown hair, and a gnomish red cap writes an invitation: "Dear Visitor from Outer Space, / If you come to Earth, / here's what you need to know." What follows is a child's introduction to this complex planet that begins in the child's room, spins out to outer space, then back to Earth and its geography and topography, then to the people who inhabit this planet-where they live, how they live, and what they do. Along the way, outer-space visitors (and readers) learn about families, careers, clothing, transportation, fauna, even the American Sign Language and Braille alphabets. Throughout, diverse people are distinctively, carefully portrayed, emphasizing representation and visibility. In a library scene, the narrator says, "It's better when we help each other"-an urgent response to a portrayal of war on the preceding spread. Two-time Caldecott Medalist Blackall balances eye-catching double-page spreads with white space, even focusing on a single powerful image-for instance, one giant bird formed from dozens of small birds fit together. Ribbons appear throughout the book, as winding blue rivers and spools of illustrated paper covered with the narrator's extraterrestrial drawings. Each rich illustration invites return visits to investigate all the small, and big, details it contains. An author's note explains the global origin of this offering.An introduction to Earth for children big and small who live in this galaxy, or beyond. (Picture book. 4-8)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)Meeting children from around the world gave Caldecott Medalist Blackall (
Starred Review ALA Booklist (Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)
Starred Review for Horn Book
Starred Review for Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal Starred Review (Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2020)
Horn Book (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
From two-time Caldecott Winner author-illustrator Sophie Blackall!
If You Come to Earth is a glorious guide to our home planet, and a call for us to take care of both Earth and each other.
This beautiful book is inspired by the thousands of children Sophie Blackall has met during her travels around the world in support of UNICEF and Save the Children.
If you come to Earth, there are a few things you need to know . . .
We live in all kinds of places.
In all kinds of homes.
In all kinds of families.
Each of us is different. But all of us are amazing.
And, together, we share one beautiful planet.
This masterful and moving picture book is a visually comprehensive guide to the earth, imbued with warmth and humor, that celebrates the magic of ordinary days on our beloved home planet.
- An engaging storybook about a single curious and imaginative child
- Simultaneously funny and touching
- Carries a clear message about the need to care for the earth and each other
Perfect for:
- Ideal for children ages 3 to 5 years old
- Resonates year-round as a go-to gift for birthdays, holidays, baby showers, and more
- A great pick for teachers looking for a crowd-pleasing picture book with lessons about the world for little students
- Parents, grandparents, and caregivers
- A new Earth Day book resource for exploring the science and wonder of nature, life, and the universe
- Add it to the shelf with books like Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers, Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, The Travel Book Lonely Planet Kids, and Hello, World! by Jill McDonald