Our Planet! There's No Place Like Earth

Our Universe #6

by Stacy McAnulty, David Litchfield (Illustrations)

From writer Stacy McAnulty and illustrator Stevie Lewis, Our Planet! There's No Place Like Earth is a nonfiction picture book about the Earth, told from the perspective of Earth herself.

Meet Earth. Planet Awesome! And your awesome home! Actually, Earth is home to all the plants and all the animals in the solar system, including nearly eight billion people. Humans have accidentally moved Earth's climate change into the fast lane, and she need your help to put on the brakes. Earthlings need Earth, and Earth needs Earthlings, so let’s save Earth together!

With characteristic humor and charm, Stacy McAnulty channels the voice of Earth in this next celestial "autobiography" in the Our Universe series. Rich with kid-friendly facts and beautifully brought to life by Stevie Lewis, this is an equally charming and irresistible picture book.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Environment, Childrens, Space

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 5, 2022

About the author

Stacy McAnulty is a children’s book author, who used to be a mechanical engineer, who’s also qualified to be a paleontologist (NOT REALLY), a correspondent for The Daily Show (why not), and a Green Bay Packer coach (totally!). She is the 2017 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor Recipient for Excellent Ed, illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach. Her other picture books include Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years, illustrated by David Litchfield; Brave and Beautiful, both illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff; Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Favorite, illustrated by Edward Hemingway; and 101 Reasons Why I’m Not Taking a Bath, illustrated by Joy Ang. She’s also authored the chapter book series Goldie Blox, based on the award-winning toys, and The Dino Files. Her debut middle grade novel, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, will publish in 2018. When not writing, Stacy likes to listen to NPR, bake triple-chocolate cupcakes, and eat triple-chocolate cupcakes. Originally from upstate NY, she now lives in Kernersville, NC with her 3 kids, 2 dogs, and 1 husband.

Reviews

[Jessica McKendry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and fun way of introducing children to climate change without taking away from the seriousness of the issue. Loved it!

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ice cream and hugs are nice.

I especially love the way this book includes helpful ways to improve climate change. We need to give our kids hope.

[RP · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest addition to the "Our Universe" series has Earth telling readers about why she is such an amazing planet for humans, plants, and animals and warning them about ways that humans have caused harm to the planet. This engaging book also shares advice about how humans can help get the Earth out of the "fast lane" we have accidentally put it into.

A very engaging book, perfect to share with younger readers to help teach them, in an age-appropriate way, about the importance of taking care of the Earth and everything that calls our planet their home. The accompanying illustrations are engaging and full of amazing details that will keep readers entertained as they learn more about our planet.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific, age appropriate introduction to climate change and the need to protect Earth.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series! My son and I have read the first Earth book, and then we read the books on the Sun, Moon, Mars and Pluto. This is a great book to teach children about climate change. It may have been a little advanced for my son, but I think we will be able to reread this one for a while. Overall, great illustrations and message; 5/5 stars ⭐️ from me!

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free digital audio copy of "Our Planet! There's No Place Like Earth" by Stacy McAnulty and read by Samantha Turret in exchange for an honest review of the title.

Stacy McAnulty's nonfiction works are a children's library staple. With "Our Planet! There's No Place Like Earth," McAnulty continues to fill the collection gaps left by outdated science books. The scope of "Our Planet!" starts with general facts such as Earth's population, distance from the sun, and average temperature. Along the way, vocab words are defined in easy-to-understand phrases. While discussing climate change and humans' impact on the environment, McAnulty's writing maintains an optimistic and playful tone without sacrificing urgency. The balance here is vocalized by Samantha Turret's performance of the text.

The audiobook of "Our Planet!" is underlaid with peppy music one might find in a 1950s advertisement. Keeping David Litchfield's illustrations in mind, this is a good fit. Even with music throughout, Turret's reading is clear, evenly paced, and playfully inflected as the voice of Earth. I recommend this audiobook as a read along to the physical title. Where the character Earth switches between narrative and lists can be confusing to a listener. However, this short audio title can be a fun way to re-experience the print copy in a car ride as a listen-together between caregiver and child.

I would recommend the audiobook of "Our Planet! There's No Place Like Earth" to students who have an interest in space, environmentalism, or meteorology but are intimidated by long texts. For the upper elementary student looking for resources, the pacing of this title is also good for recalling numerical statistics. For the library purchaser, this is one of the most up-to-date children's titles on climate change, human impact, and ways to make a greener Earth at home.

[Kathleen Vincent]

This nonfiction text provides factual information about Earth in a unique and engaging way; The text
is written from the point of view of a personified Earth. This text is part of a nonfiction series written by Stacy McAnulty where all of the texts are written using the same type of point of view.

Other texts included in this series to use when teaching about our solar system:
- Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years
- Sun! One in a Billion
- Moon: Earth's Best Friend
- Mars: Earthlings Welcome
- Ocean! Waves for All

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Charming introduction to climate change with a strong environmental message for young readers. Earth previously told us her history in her first book, this time she gently admonishes is on how to take better care of her gifts. Didn’t know cow burps are worse than cow farts! I first noticed the cow burp in a picture and then it was mentioned in the back matter! Great addition to their planet series. My Facebook reminder was for the Ocean book a year ago today.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simce Earth Day is this weekend, I thought this would be a worthwhile read.

The book is informative and helps children understand the threat we face from the acceleration of climate change caused by humans, why it matters, and what each person can do to help reverse our course. It's not too doom and gloom, but does present the urgency of our situation.

The illustrations, created using mixed media and digital art tools, are colorful and complement the narrative well.

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this wonderful book. Written from the Earth’s point of view, this is a great book about the importance of conservation for mid to upper elementary students. It would also be an amazing read aloud for Earth Day!

[Widad Ahmad · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Our Planet: There's No Place Like Earth" The book is Written by Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey, and Fred Pearce, it explores the wonders of Earth's diverse ecosystems and the incredible wildlife that inhabits them. The book is divided into sections covering different habitats such as forests, deserts, oceans, and freshwater environments. Each section delves into the unique characteristics of these habitats, the species that live there, and the challenges they face due to climate change and human activities.
The book is rich with stunning photographs and informative text that highlight the beauty and complexity of our planet which will definitely grab the attention of the students. It also emphasizes the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect these vital ecosystems. which is really important to preschoolers and kindergarten students to understand the importance of this information that will keep our planet safe. "Our Planet: There's No Place Like Earth" is an inspiring and educational read that underscores the importance of preserving the natural world.

I really liked this book and I will use it academically because it covers different habitats such as forests, deserts, oceans, and freshwater environments. I would use it in a science or health class to express where we live, interesting facts about other things that we have in this world and how the strategies that we can do to protect our planet.

[A Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're wondering, like I was, what the difference is between this book and "Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years" by the same author, the answer is that this book is about climate change. Self-proclaimed "planet awesome" is back again and this time tells readers why Earth is the planet we live on instead of other planets in our solar system. Earth also gives a short explanation about the difference between climate and weather. McAnulty writes, "But humans have accidentally moved [Earth's] climate into the fast lane." Readers are told "sometimes energy leads to dirty water, dirty land, and dirty air. Then McAnulty shares that icebergs are melting, oceans are rising, etc. which is dangerous and means trouble for Earthlings, but the "trouble" for Earthlings is not satisfactorily explained in my opinion. Then readers are told, "it's not too late!" My favorite pages are when McAnulty introduces examples of cleaner energies and when McAnulty explains that individuals can help such as sharing stuff, reusing old stuff, etc. However, there is no mention in this book that corporations are huge contributors to climate change and that putting pressure on industries to have cleaner practices is another important way to make a difference, and arguably more effective than an average individual's choices. Overall I think this book does too much sugar coating.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all the books in the Our Universe Series and I hope she is going to make more. No one personifies a planet better than Stacy. This is the third book about Earth. She has done a book on the oceans and now this is about how precious Earth's climate is. Earth is an average 57 degrees which is where we want to keep it.

It's such a well done book for kids. Everything is fun and not scary. She goes into the problems we have, generally the 7.8 billion people who all needs things. There are 23 billion chickens on the planet. Lots of Wings! She goes into how the temperature on Earth does vary, but it changes slowly over eons, not in a matter of years which is how we know this is a man made issue.

Anyway, great facts, great book, great series. I hope Venus is next, or Jupiter.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book does little to actually describe our planet but discusses much about what we can do to "save our planet". This book repeats much of modern-day science's beliefs in climate change and man's responsibility concerning climate. Although this is a relatively new field of exploration, many scientists believe that they have the fool-proof answer to save our planet. I would rather my students read books that discuss both sides to this issue.

[Gabe Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that mixes factual information with a fun and engaging way to show it. I think that this books illustrations are some of the best I've ever seen with how engaging and lively the colors are. I love this book its message and the idea of it being for children as well as it being applicable to everyone. Overall, it is an amazing book with great information that can stir up kids to take on the climate battle.

[Meghan Bohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one for the most part, but it's too specific on the dangers of climate change for the younger age of the suggested age range of 4-8. 'No catastrophes before the third grade.' The suggested ways to help in the back are also very dependent on the individual child's actions, without acknowledging what people can do as a society/adults need to be taking care of the problem, and are working on it.
Up from 2.5 stars.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

In first person narrative Planet Earth describes many of her wonderful features. She also explains in simple language that she is in danger from human activity. The book is wonderfully illustrated with colorful mixed media images that compliment the accessible text. Practical suggestions for being more Earth-friendly are included.
Tie-in with Earth Day, creation care, and studies of the solar system.
Fountas and Pinnell reading level: M

[PaulaPolka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parte de mi trabajo es leer libros infantiles y juveniles para ver si son útiles para la biblioteca. Este en particular está alineado con la Unidad de Indagación How the world works y tiene muchos conceptos interesantes para los más pequeños, en referencia a los distintos tipos de energía y cómo cuidar mejor el planeta. No me convence la figura caricaturizada del planeta, pero eso ya es una opinión personal.

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated book of all things Earth. There are lots of facts and interesting information about our planet. This book could be used for a report or general reading. There is additional information at the end on how to make the planet better, statistics, atmosphere glossary terms, and sources. Students will enjoy reading this book. Highly recommended for Grades 2-5.

[Buku Arutala · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should be read by our children with parents in home or teachers in the school. They must know about taking care our planet, Earth. They must know that our planet, Earth is not okay right now. Reading this b0ok helps them to know do's and don'ts to our planet. This earth is home to all earthlings, include us, humans, so right now and forever we have to love and save our Earth.

[Skyla Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book talks about how earth is the only perfect planet for us to be on. The other planets are too hot, too cold, no water, or frozen water, etc. Humans have changed the climate and now the planet is getting warm too quickly. Ice melts, oceans rise, land floods, land doesn’t have enough water, all problems humans are causing.

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very easy to understand book about Earth and climate change. It helps kids get to know what is important about the subject while still being entertaining. I loved the illustrations and the suggestions on how kids can help the environment! People need concrete ways to help make things better and it’s important to teach everyone that every bit helps.

Mia’s Year of Books: Day 28

[Riley Gullett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful children’s book! It is great for Earth Day! It really shows the importance of Earth and teaches kids ways they can help keep our planet alive! It is also good for showing definitions of important words, like the differences between climate and weather and how this relates to our planet! I recommend this book! It is so good!

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this one, but don't love it. I have read it many (many many) times this year to grades K-3, and it's a little over the heads of K-1, but seems to leave 2-3 with more questions than information. The illustrations are beautiful, as always, and I appreciate the opportunity to have a conversation starter about climate change, but it feels like it's missing the mark a bit.

[Paula Headland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect choice to introduce younger kids to climate change. This has simple text and beautiful illustrations. There are a few spreads that will need more explanation and might leave kids wondering, like does the Earth really “sweat” 😅 but overall this is a great addition to the series.

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stacy McAnulty's Our Universe series takes us back to Earth with a focus on saving our planet.
Vibrant artwork and additional informational in the back will make this an educational and entertaining read-aloud.

[Allison Turkish · Rating 5 out of 5]

"... I'm home to all the plants in the solar system and all the animals, including all the humans."

This book is marvelous for kids, teaching a little about the other planets and explaining why we should take care of our own. Love!

[Holly Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story told with few words about the planet. Discusses human-made climate change. Defines climate and weather and the difference. Discusses how climate change hurts the planet and what we can do to repair the damage. Talks about alternative energy sources. Kinder-second grade.

[Sofia Donohue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books so far, I loved every part of the book. I loved the illustrations and what it covered in the book. It is a great book for Earth day or just to learn more about earth in general. I would for sure have this book in my class.

[Krista · Rating 1 out of 5]

Earth was a giant snowball 700 million years ago?! 55 million years ago, earth was nearly ice free.
This is a 1 star rating from me. Lots of evolutional comments and heavy alarmist focus on icebergs melting and oceans rising.