Meanwhile Back on Earth

This book is a mini masterpiece of combining simplicity with seriousness of message. It enables the reader to make the links between the everyday and ordinary with a wider world history of conflict. The start of the book draws the attention of the reader to how big the world is and yet, despite this, humans tend to divide it into smaller bits, each of us wanting our own bit of space. Jeffers’ amazing imagination brings this idea to life, when even children in the back of the car, can’t cope with a car journey without fighting over the space on the back seat, wanting it divided shouting – ‘this is my side’! The scenario is very relatable for every child who has a sibling or who has ever had to share space, recounting and identifying with the conflict that ensues and so to the wider messages about global conflict. J

effers makes it possible for a car to drive into space, first to the moon (at 37 miles per hour) where we are invited to look back at the earth and with this new perspective to see the young and old inhabiting their different spaces. As the car travels on, we look back at earth at different points in history to see the continuous and different conflicts that are features of each time. It is only the first people, too busy surviving to fight, who seem to escape the human condition of conflict.

This book provides a rich basis for discussion about humanity as well as tapping into children’s curiosity and interest in space, the planets and how far it would take us to reach them. Oliver Jeffers’ distinctive illustrations provide full page drawings throughout, further adding to the book’s potential for sharing and accessibility. If you are a fan of Jeffers, this book will not disappoint.