Fire Shapes the World

“Somewhere on Earth,/ a fire smolders./ Witness its smoke/ and glow/ and power.” Cooke urges appreciation for fire’s fundamental role in shaping ecosystems in this poetic exploration. “Life as we know it evolved with fire,” text informs as it evokes how fauna, flora, and humans alike have responded to the way fire ravages and renews. Employing painterly layers of color, Li and Renžina fill spreads with the golden reds, oranges, and yellows of fire. Early scenes focused on prehistoric burns (“The oldest known wildfire smoldered 420 million years ago”) have a freewheeling, uncontrolled energy, while later pictures of people—including early humans portrayed with brown skin, and contemporary firefighters and campers of different skin tones—appear more static. Together, the creators offer a nuanced portrayal of fire as a force to be respected. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)