On This Spot: An Expedition Back Through Time by Susan E. Goodman (illustrated by Lee Christiansen; Greenwillow Books, 2004) is a nonfiction picture book showing glimpses of a place on earth over the course of billions of years. It begins with a street scene of New York City and then jumps back 175 years, 350
The nonfiction Keepers of the Reef by Dr. Sharon Wismer (illustrated by Alice Wong; Tillbury House, 2022) invites a young reader to visit the Great Barrier Reef to learn about a unique ecosystem. With a friendly “come on in!”, two children swim into a coral reef scene in this gorgeous book about the coral reef
With a child-friendly tone, Volcano Dreams: A Story of Yellowstone by Janet Fox (illustrated by Marlo Garnsworthy; Web of Life, 2018) introduces a variety of creatures that live in Yellowstone National Park, as well as personifies the geological features of the park, such as geysers and bubbling hot springs. The only one sleeping is the
The nonfiction picture book Green: The Story of Life on Our Planet by Nicola Davies (illustrated by Emily Sutton; Candlewick, 2024) explains how plants support the world. Detailed pages with illustrations and diagrams explain the structure of a plant cell, the process of photosynthesis, a basic energy food web, and the general evolution of plants
From the fantastic Wells of Knowledge nonfiction picture book science series, What’s Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew? by Robert E. Wells (Albert Whitman, 1995) teaches about microscopic creatures for young readers. Beginning with a small creature, this book encourages child readers to consider even smaller creatures, including bacteria and the size of an atoms. The
Buried Beneath Us: Discovering the Ancient Cities of the Americas by Anthony Aveni (illustrated by Katherine Roy; Roaring Brook Press, 2013) covers the basics of four early American civilizations for the middle school and high school reader in less than 100 pages. With emphasis on the Aztec, Maya, Inca, and Cahokian civilizations, Aveni describes the
The picture book Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea by Robert Burleigh (illustrated by Raul Colon; Paula Wiseman Books, 2016) tells the true story of Marie Tharp, who was the first to map the ocean’s floor between 1957 and 1977. Because of her work in mapping the seafloor, she was able to corroborate Alfred Wegener’s
Painting the Game by Patricia MacLachlan (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2024) is the last novel by the late great MacLachlan, who wrote my childhood favorite Sarah, Plain and Tall. In a similar understated tone, this short novel tells about a young girl, Lucy, who wants to prove her own baseball abilities as a pitcher, so
With a collage bunny illustration style, Recycle Every Day by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace (Two Lions, 2003) shows how bunnies Minna and Pip learn about recycling and making earth-conscious decisions. This includes donating old clothing, starting compost collection, using reusable bags, and choosing recyclable materials, as well as traditional recycling ideas. The story frame of Minna
The Weight of Vengeance : The United States, the British Empire, and The War of 1812 by Troy Bickham (Oxford University Press, 2017) is a scholarly look at the “forgotten war.” Throughout my life, I have known very little about the War of 1812, so I was eager to learn more about this war that
The Wonder Smith and His Son by Ella Young (published 1927) tells traditional Irish tales about the Gubban Saor, a magical builder (spelled elsewhere on the web as Gobán Saor). I had not been familiar with this traditional character from Irish history, so these stories were all new to me! They were quite strange. Unlike
The nonfiction picture book Planet Earth Inside Out by Gail Gibbons (published 1995) provides a great overview of the planet. It covers a large range of subtopics, including the layers of the earth, the tectonic plates and Pangea, how plates interact, the results of earthquakes on land, and details about volcanoes, including seafloor spreading. It
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