Make a Terrarium

Reviews

Kirkus Reviews
"The universe brags about one of its best and favorite parts.

Depicted as human with lightly toned skin and billows of black hair a-glimmer with stars, Universe squires two wisecracking E Ts past the planets (“a pretty neat system, if I do say so myself”), then recaps the history of this one from “hot, bubbly, gassy mess” through the development of life to the appearances of satellites and pizza. In simple language she explains the roles oceans, the water cycle, and our planet’s placement in the “Goldilocks” zone played in the appearance of us. If she sounds a note of warning about the need to fix pollution and other hazards to life, it only briefly dims her conviction that we will indeed step up. Heavenly bodies, microorganisms, and, on later pages, racially diverse groups of children sport bright, googly eyes and benevolent smiles in the cartoon illustrations. In co-published tours that echo the upbeat tone, Universe presents viewers with basic introductions to The Moon (our “Small-but-Mighty Neighbor”),the life cycles of a “gazillion” Stars, and our own “Shining Star,” The Sun. Each outing ends with general directions for a relevant activity (for Earth, creating a terrarium) and, injecting the Art into STEAM, opens with an earnest poem.

With its companions, breezy flyovers with light but sound informational payloads. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 7-9.)"

Booklist
"The Earth highlights unique features that let our planet support life and instructs readers in how to create a terrarium. Each volume is narrated by the Universe, which is presented as a proud parent bragging about its offspring. Additionally, two wise-cracking alien punsters contribute bits of trivia, introduce new vocabulary, pose goofy or thoughtful questions, and keep the narrative flowing. The cartoon-like illustrations align closely with the text, illuminating abstract concepts, and the kid-friendly text will attract beginning readers."

Praise for other books in the Picture Book Science series

Forces: Physical Science for Kids by Andi Diehn

Booklist - Starred Review March 15, 2018
“Forces, despite its down-to-earth scientific grounding, manages to do the nearly impossible. Diehn brings gravity, magnetism, push-pull forces, and friction to life in everyday contexts, without a hint of schoolroom jargon. Children, parents, and teachers alike can enjoy learning the charming, often funny, relatable, and accessible science within this Picture Book Science series (4 titles) offering.”

Praise for other books by Laura Perdew

Biodiversity Explore the Diversity of Life on Earth with Environmental Science Activities for Kids

Booklist - Top 10 Nonfiction Series for 2020
“Build It Environmental Science (4 titles) Gr. 4–8. Mixing comics and thoughtfully designed activities with solid information, this series accessibly explores with precision such topics as biodiversity, biomes, and Earth’s garbage problem.” Read more online.

Booklist - Top 10 Books on the Environment & Sustainability for Youth: 2020
“Activities and accessible text bring the importance and complexity of biodiversity to upper-elementary and middle-school students.”

Booklist - Starred Review
“Nomad applies its dependable activity-book format to the new Build It Environmental Science series (4 titles). Here biodiversity is placed under the microscope—sometimes literally—in a text that makes daunting concepts, such as evolution, levels of biodiversity (genetic, species, or ecosystem), and why biodiversity matters, easy to understand without sacrificing scientific precision. . . By book’s end, readers will truly understand what biodiversity is, its importance to the health of the planet, and humans’ impact on the complex natural systems where it thrives.”

Extinction: What Happened to the Dinosaurs, Mastodons, and Dodo Birds?

 National Science Teachers Association Recommends
“This book uses the concept of extinction to teach a little chemistry, a little climatology, paleontology, biology (biodiversity), ecology, and a lot of geology. The science information is historical and current, drawing on three–dimensional learning, incorporating science practices to determine what factors affect extinction in general and specifically. The integration of concepts help bring the science alive and relevant.”