In a sweeping poetic achievement—and a clarion call to action—Newbery Honoree Marion Dane Bauer reckons with humankind’s responsibility for the climate crisis, tracing a storyline from ice age to industrial age.
Born without fangs, claws, or wings, naked of fur or feathers, humans are the most vulnerable of Earth’s creatures. Our strength rests in our knowing. Early on, we put our big brains to work to tame fire, and over eons, our discovery helped us grow. Just two centuries ago, we began using coal, oil, and gas—remnants of long-ago life hidden deep within a generous Earth—to fuel fire, light up our nights, and run machines. Fertilizers let us reuse the soil. Pesticides killed the competition. We even dreamed up a synthetic “wonder” material called plastic. But our big brains tuned out the devastating effects of these actions. Can our knowing unravel the greatest crisis we’ll ever face? Stunning artwork evokes the climate emergency to scale in a third epic fusion of poetry and science from the author of We, the Curious Ones and The Stuff of Stars. Packed with hopeful action points, this portrait of a planet in peril is a plea to reconnect with our home, the source of all life, and a rallying cry for a generation coming of age just in time to turn things around.
QUICK VIEW
