This Is the Planet Where I Live

by K.L. Going, Debra Frasier (Illustrator)

Overview

This picture book celebrates and honors the interconnectedness of everything here on planet Earth.

The planet where we live is full of people, animals, insects, birds, trees, clouds, rain, oceans—and everything is interconnected. With a cumulative text and rich, highly-detailed collages, this book is a joyous ode to our wondrous planet.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481465632
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	03/21/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD610L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

K.L. Going is the author of many critically acclaimed novels, including The Liberation of Gabriel King and the Printz Honor–winning Fat Kid Rules the World, as well as the picture books Bumpety, Dunkety, Thumpety-Thump!, illustrated by Simone Shin; Can’t Stop Kissing That Baby, illustrated by Fiona Lee; and The Shape of the World, illustrated by Lauren Stringer. She lives with her family in Glen Spey, New York. Visit her at KLGoing.com.

Debra Frasier has written and illustrated many acclaimed picture books, including A Fabulous Fair Alphabet; Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster; and the beloved and bestselling On the Day You Were Born. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

"This Is the Planet Where I Live is the perfect way to jump-start a young environmentalist’s education. Its eye-catching illustrations will capture the reader’s attention, and its lively text will hold it. This is the sort of book that grows alongside children, gaining broader, deeper meanings as their comprehension develops.... This Is the Planet Where I Live gloriously captures the teeming natural treasures of our beautiful, delicate world."

4/1/2023 - BookPage

* "A stunning tribute that will make future conservationists out of all who read it."

2/1/2023 - Kirkus Reviews

★ 05/29/2023

Starting with the “planet/ where I live” and “the people/ who share the planet/ where I live,” rhyming cumulative first-person lines cycle outward to include flora, fauna, and more for a compelling portrait of ecological interdependencies. Encompassing homes and animals in adjacent fields as well as birds, clouds, insects, and trees, the verse draws connections to the creatures “who live and die/ deep in the oceans/ on which we rely.” Embracing spiral motifs that visualize such connections, Frasier’s collages incorporate boldly colored cut paper and photographs set against flat, vibrant backgrounds. Opening and closing pages present a sunflower-filled sun whose rays consist of marigolds and other florals scattering into space, while the globe envisioned throughout is comprised of multicolored human silhouettes rejoicing as they mingle with the natural world. The result is a lively celebration of interconnected life. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 2023-01-12
So many things on our planet are connected.

Using a cumulative nursery rhyme format similar to “The House That Jack Built,” the text begins with “This is the planet where I live” and slowly builds to give a simple but detailed account of ecosystems and the food web. While the rhyming text is appropriate for younger readers, skillful storytellers may want to use this book with older children as well to help start discussions of conservation, science, and even climate change. The verses themselves are magnificent, culminating in a story that’s equally pleasing to say aloud as it is to consider: “These are the creatures / who live and die / deep in the oceans / on which we rely / to produce the clouds / that coast and cry / to water the trees / that stretch up high / giving nests to the birds / who soar in the sky / who feed on the insects / who fly nearby. // Animals, fields, / shelter for friends, / every creature alive / on each other depends— / all on the planet / where we live.” Though the text is a delight, the collage illustrations are the real stars of the show, a mix of Matisse-inspired art and photography. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A stunning tribute that will make future conservationists out of all who read it. (Informational picture book. 4-10)

Kirkus Reviews