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Awesome Planet Earth Topic

Books about Earth

Awesome Planet Earth Topic Booklist

Our incredible Planet Earth is home to a myriad of plants, animals and people. Filled with a remarkable diversity of ecosystems, habitats and natural wonders, there’s plenty to inspire curious readers. From mountains and deserts to oceans and waterfalls, take a trip around the globe to explore the Earth’s wonders with our selection of recommended children’s books to support the topic of Awesome Earth…

This is a list of children’s books about the wonders of the planet we call home. If you are looking for books about natural disasters or children’s books about the environment, check out our additional booklists.

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Non-fiction books about Planet Earth

Ruth Symons
 & Bomboland
Non-fiction
Planet Earth uses ingenious paper cuts to reveal the amazing details of our planet, from bubbling volcanoes to rushing rivers to its boiling hot interior. With detailed art by paper-cut studio Bomboland, a fact-packed text, and flaps and die-cuts on every spread, this unique novelty book will appeal to all the family.
Rachel Ignotofsky
Non-fiction
An illustrated tour of our planet's ecosystems both large and small, from reefs, deserts and rainforests to a single drop of water - from the bestselling author of Women in Science . Through exquisite illustrations, maps and infographics, bestselling author Rachel Ignotofsky explains how our planet works, from its incredible ecosystems and the plants and animals that live there to the importance of biodiversity , weather cycles and more. Including information on the dangers of climate change and ideas for how to protect Planet Earth, this utterly charming guide is the perfect gift for all nature-loving readers on the planet we call home.
Steve Tomecek
 & Marcos Farina
Non-fiction

This large-format, colourful tome is packed to the rafters with facts, figures of interest. Each matt double-page spread is focused around one particular view of Earth – Earth is old, for example. The next double page provides a contrasting perspective – Earth is young or hot/dry or fast/slow and so on. This format allows for an unusual compare and contrast array of detail and fact and allows the reader to view the fascinating subject of the Earth around us from a multitude of different viewpoints. think Earth Is Big would appeal to children and adults alike; I loved dipping in and out of it and felt enlightened by what I had discovered. Those children who are fascinated by Earth Science and those who come to the concept with fresh eyes will be informed and entertained…

Leisa Stewart-Sharpe
 & Lydia Hill
Non-fiction
From the author of the BBC's children's book Blue Planet II, this book takes you on a breathtaking tour of our planet - from towering mountaintops, through grasslands, jungles, rivers, deserts, polar wildernesses and into the blue ocean - to discover the incredible variety of life that calls it home. Along the way, read the stories of 35 inspiring Earth Shakers - children and adults, from tree-planters to scientists, from all around the world - who have taken action to protect it.Plus, there are lots of practical tips and handy resources inside that give you the tools to make a positive change today. Every budding young activist will be inspired to make a change for a better future.
Matt Whyman, Richard Jones & Sir David Attenborough
Non-fiction
This stunning children's non-fiction hardback is the accompaniment to the Netflix series Our Planet. This is the kind of book that readers young and old will love to pore over, from the powerful photographs of melting ice caps to the facts and figures about palm oil plantations and endangered sea life. There is so much to learn and think about. The book has a foreword by Sir David Attenborough, who says ‘You will be among the next characters who can, if they wish, tell the most extraordinary story of all - how human beings in the twenty-first century came to their senses and started to protect Planet Earth'. What follows is a visual ode to Planet Earth told through extraordinary photography from the series combined with appealing illustrations that draw in younger readers and help them to understand nature's amazing interplay of habitats and ecosystems. Small sections of text further explain the images, giving snapshots of animals' lifestyles as well as presenting hard-hitting facts about the dangers they face. We learn how orangutans have incredible mapping skills to navigate their jungle homes but also how we lose 100 orangutans a week due to human actions like hunting and deforestation. We find out how beautiful lantern-fish light their own way along with 17-metre long oarfish in the high seas, but also how plastic peril and high-seas fishing put the incredible marine life there in danger. The tone of the book is one to inspire rather than to frighten readers into action. The book is not at all without hope for the future, and the nudge to make personal changes comes through simple tips like choosing products carefully and supporting sustainable fishing. Moreover, with photographs as stunning as these, it is hard for readers of all ages not to feel inspired to take steps to protect the natural world from our own destructive actions. With something to offer to the whole primary age range and beyond, this is the kind of nonfiction book that inspires and informs in equal parts and is one to treasure in classrooms and homes.

Picturebooks about Planet Earth

Oliver Jeffers
Picturebook
The exquisite and thought-provoking book from the multi award-winning, internationally best-selling picture book creator of Lost and Found, Oliver Jeffers.Well, hello. And welcome to this Planet. We call it Earth.Our world can be a bewildering place, especially if you've only just got here. Your head will be filled with questions, so let's explore what makes our planet and how we live on it. From land and sky, to people and time, these notes can be your guide and start you on your journey. And you'll figure lots of things out for yourself. Just remember to leave notes for everyone else... Some things about our planet are pretty complicated, but things can be simple, too: you've just got to be kind.
Patricia MacLachlan
 & Francesca Sanna
Picturebook
Our friend Earth does so many wonderful things! She tends to animals large and small. She pours down summer rain and autumn leaves. She sprinkles whisper-white snow and protects the tiny seeds waiting for spring. Readers of all ages will pore over the pages of this spectacular book. Its enticing die-cut pages encourage exploration as its poetic text celebrates everything Earth does for us, all the while reminding us to be a good friend in return. * Interactive format and kid-friendly art will engage both toddlers and young readers. * A celebration of the natural world and rallying cry for positive action for Planet Earth * Great opportunities to share life science concepts and amazing facts about the environment with children
Sam Smith
Non-fiction
Discover the wonders of life on Earth as you find your way through this selection of mazes. Each maze is more challenging than the last, from navigating rainforests and piles of recycling to climbing mountains and avoiding monsoons. A brilliant way to learn about our planet, with all the answers at the back of the book.
Isabel Otter
 & Clara Anganuzzi
Picturebook

Inspired by her Grandpa’s tales of global exploration, a little girl chooses to pen a love letter to the Earth, gently exploring both the diverse beauty and the fragility of our planet.

As Tessa walks with her Grandpa, she listens to his tales of adventures from his days as an explorer. As Grandpa describes different places he has visited, he paints in Tessa’s mind vivid images of the Earth’s diverse natural wonders. Inspired by what she has heard, Tessa decides to write a letter to the planet, letting her imagination flow as she dreams of global explorations of her own. Through Tessa’s imaginative lines, coupled with Clara Anganuzzi’s gently flowing illustrations, the book addresses the aspects of nature that capture a child’s heart and imagination: Tessa imagines sliding down desert dunes, floating in lagoons, gliding like a turtle, flitting with butterflies, sliding and soaring with birds. Tessa wants to revel in the Earth’s natural beauty – to play gleefully in it, to partake, to sense it, to fully experience it, but not for a second spoil it. At the end of her letter, Tessa’s mind falls to thoughts of the Earth’s need for love, care and healing from the damage caused by humans.

Finishing her letter with ‘Love from Tessa’, she holds Grandpa’s hand and together they wander along the beach and discuss what might cause more people to be better at treasuring the Earth instead of harming it. The pair agree that sharing a message of the planet’s wondrous beauty might be the best way to help people to realise how special the Earth is and to begin to take more care of it.

This is a beautifully illustrated picture book that is perfectly gentle and encouraging in its message of appreciation and environmental care. There’s nothing to scare young children here – instead, it simply moves readers towards reflecting on the diversity of the planet’s natural wonders, as the additional facts and tips at the end of the book gently move readers onto positive and achievable steps to help to care for the planet.

Longer books about Planet Earth

Sabrina Mahfouz
Poetry
This stunning collection of new and classic poems from around the world celebrates the diversity of life on our green and blue planet, to be shared with all the family. With new poems from Raymond Antrobus, Mona Arshi, Kate Tempest, Hollie McNish, Dean Atta, Sabrina Mahfouz and more.Dive into this book and be swept away on a journey around our green and blue planet, from the peak of the snowiest mountaintop to the bottom of the deepest, bluest ocean. Meet the birds circling its skies, the beasts prowling its plains, and the people toiling in its fields and forests and cities... Explore all the worlds that make up our world, and hear the voices, past and present, that sing out from it. From haikus to sonnets, from rap to the Romantics, this joyous collection celebrates life in all corners of our beautiful planet.
Chitra Soundar
 & Jen Khatun
Chapter book
Sona Sharma combats climate change. When Sona learns about the climate crisis at school and is very worried that no one is doing enough to combat it, she takes up the challenge herself. But Appa isn't amused when Sona throws out her baby sister's nappies and Thatha isn't happy when she tells him to get rid of his colour-coded plastic files. When Sona learns that many of the kolams - the traditional art that people draw in front of their homes to celebrate the winter months and the festival season - are not organic, she sets out to make some big changes by getting everyone involved.
Michael Morpurgo
Chapter book
If you are looking for a gripping novel on the theme of mountains, this one could be for you. This story, from the popular children's author Michael Morpurgo, recounts the perilous journey of Ashley and his Uncle Sung across the Himalayan Mountains as they battle for survival.

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