Heal the Earth

The creators of Touch the Earth present another “healing adventure” aboard the fanciful White Feather Flier—a vehicle that changes shape and function while traveling the planet on environmental and humanitarian missions. As in its predecessor, this mildly interactive book invites readers to join the Flier’s young cartoon passengers by pressing a printed “imagination power button” and tilting the book up (to take to the air) or down (to dive underwater). As the vessel morphs from plane to mobile hospital to submarine to tractor to boat, the kids deliver medicine to children in a remote location, help a coral reef recover from the effects of climate change, plant a city garden, and join reforestation efforts in the jungle. Though it provides minimal information about the causes of these dire scenarios, the affable text congratulates readers at every stop (“Wow! You made the rain forest return!”), offering a streamlined vision of the rewards of doing one’s part. Set against a backdrop of calming teal tones, Coh’s cheering matte pictures portray Earth’s dramatic healing in bursts of vivid color. A concluding singsong poem echoes the rallying cry of Lennon’s tale, which should spark productive dialogue. Ages 3–6. Authors’ agents: Robert Gottlieb and Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media Group. Illustrator’s agency: Bright Agency. [em](Apr.) [/em]