Hello, Earth!
Illustrated by Miren Asiain Lora Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021. ISBN: 9780802855282. Ages 5-9.
Hello, Earth!
It’s your children.
We have been studying you,
but we long to learn more.
We want to ask you
a few questions.
We want to tell you our dreams
and wishes.
Can you hear us,
Earth?
We walk on Earth’s surface every day, but how often do we wonder about the incredible planet around us? From the molten cracks below to the shimmering moon above, Hello, Earth! explores the complex wonders of our natural world. This playful poetic journey across our puzzle-piece continents does not hesitate to ask questions—even of the Earth itself! Extensive back matter fosters further learning about everything from water cycles to plate tectonics to the origin of ocean tides.
What would you ask the Earth if you could?
2022 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People
Horn Book Fanfare, 2021
SLJ Best Book of the Year
Kirkus Best Book of the Year
NSTA Outstanding Science Book of 2021
“Lithe, accessible poetry celebrates our world's mind-boggling grandeur—and humanity’s role as her steward.”
*Kirkus (starred review)
“On gorgeously illustrated pages . . . the narrator addresses the Earth directly, as if in conversation with a respected friend.”
*Horn Book (starred review)
“Sidman’s poetry . . . hits at the heart of the very human connection with Earth.”
*School Library Journal (starred review)
“Heartfelt science-based poems and paintings for young readers celebrate planet Earth.”
*Shelf Awareness (starred review)
Resources
More Information and Useful Links:
EARTH: an interactive Earth map from NullSchool.net An extraordinarily beautiful and mesmerizing planet-sized view of global weather compiled using data from NASA supercomputers and updated every three hours. See wind, wave, and storm patterns at a global level!
Science News for Students Keep up on crucial research and discovery across science disciplines with your students.
Explore Oceans with the NOAA A wealth of articles and activities for kids from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Plate Tectonics: Truth or Theory? Discover some of the interesting new “holes” in the theory of Plate Tectonics.
Water Science School Everything you wanted to know about water from the US Geological Survey.
Encyclopedia of Life A collaboration between the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and Harvard, the EOL is attempting to document every species on Earth.
How this book began . . .
Usually the text of a book is written first, then the illustrator creates pictures based on the text. This book started differently. Editor Kathleen Merz of Eerdmans approached me with the illustrations already done—they had been used in a book published abroad. Rather than translate the text, she asked me to write brand new poems. I was hesitant at first, uncertain I could do it. But after poring over Miren’s beautiful folk-style art, I fell in love. The spreads called to me—as did the curious, diverse, energetic children in them.
For months I searched for the right voice and the right story. I had many false starts and many weeks of shuffling illustrations. Finally, I was able to create a narrative that I felt truly honored both the evocative art and the profoundly huge subject of the Earth itself. I feel proud to have met this challenge.