Does Earth Feel? 14 Questions for Humans
Marc Majewski. HarperCollins/Tegen, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-06-302153-2
Majewski’s debut proves quietly engaging, with textural acrylic artwork and simple, emotion-centered questions to help children recontextualize how they view Earth. Each left-hand page offers a single question against a natural-colored background, anthropomorphizing the planet with a spare refrain: “Does Earth feel...?” The corresponding right-hand page shows a colorful visual representation of each question, portraying humans as minuscule and emphasizing natural landscapes: a depiction of a gray, polluted city accompanies “Does Earth feel sick?” and a scene of a thriving green forest attends “Does Earth feel alive?” The final question breaks the fourth wall to address the reader directly (“And you, what do you want Earth to feel?”), ending this meditative picture book on a thought-provoking note. An author’s note urges readers to practice empathy, not just for humans, but for “our only home.” Ages 4–8. (Feb.)
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Reviewed on: 01/28/2021
Genre: Children's