Reviewed by annieb123 on
The Story of Climate Change is an illustrated short book for kids by Catherine Barr & Steve Williams. Due out 2nd March 2021 from Quarto on their Frances Lincoln Children's Books imprint, it's 40 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
Climate change affects every lifeform on the planet. Weather systems are more violent and unpredictable than ever, the average temperature is growing steadily, oceans are warming up, species are disappearing, and the changes are accelerating. This is an accessible, age appropriate book about what's causing the changes, how they are affecting life on planet Earth, and what can be done to slow the damage in the future. The book is science based, but not too technical. It has a good broad-based factual basis and includes a short capsule history from the early days of the Earth 4.5 billion years ago to the present day.
The art, by Amy Husband and Mike Love is appealing and full of small details. It's a colorful collage technique with pen, marker, and paint (created digitally according to the publishing info). The art enhances and tells the story. I liked the small "Easter Eggs" (like the bird eating an easy-to-find moth beside its darker, more camouflaged relative) hidden in the art which aren't explicitly explained. This will give older kids things to think about and explore later.
It's an upbeat and positive book, despite the critically threatening fact of climate change. I would recommend it for school and public library acquisition, home library, and classroom/homeschool use. Age appropriate from circa kindergarten - primary school kids. It would also make a good choice for a "read-to-me" book for babies to small children.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 3 February, 2021: Finished reading
- 3 February, 2021: Reviewed