On Earth

On Earth is both written and illustrated by G. Brian Karas. The target audience is second through fourth grade boys and girls. On Earth is the winner of the Young Reader Award and is an Ala Notable Children’s book.

-Rating: 4 out of 5 ****

-Summary: On Earth focuses on concepts such as seasonal change, days of the year, rotation, axis, and other common themes related to the planet Earth. 

What I really love about this book is how simple the author makes complex ideas behind the solar system and the planets. Especially for younger students, these concepts are hard to understand but this book appeals to all types of students. The illustrations specifically do a great job at getting the points across. There are diagrams that are labeled appropriately and simplistically to allow even young readers to understand them.

This book would be great book for a science lesson on Earth/space related topics. It could also be a good way to introduce the solar system starting with the planet Earth, which is most familiar to school children. On Earth takes complicated topics such as the seasons changing, the cycle of how the Earth moves through out the year, the rotation of Earth, and many more and makes it simpler for students to understand through simple text and helpful illustrations. Ideas such as the rotation of the Earth and orbit are hard topics for young students to understand since it is not something you can see or feel on a daily basis. Students who are visual learners might be able to understand certain ideas through the illustrations provided in the book since everyday learners cannot witness Earth from space. This would be a book I would love to have in my classroom to use in a science unit.