  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 11/01/2017 Baby-Toddler—Jeffers uses his clever, effervescent cartoon style to welcome a new baby to planet Earth, "the big globe, floating in space, on which we live." He makes an effort to impart "the things I think you need to know" on his infant son by giving him an overview of the landscape via diagrams and fun drawings and what he might expect to encounter as he grows and becomes more mobile ("we'll talk some more about [the sea] once you've learned to swim.") His words are by turns philosophical, humorous, and practical. "People come in many shapes, sizes and colors. We may all look different, act different and sound different…but don't be fooled, we are all people." He stresses the need to be patient, to use one's words, and to be kind. He encourages the child to ask questions and leave notes behind for those who follow. Most importantly, the child should remember to look after this lonely planet as it's "all we've got." The playful narrative and lovely warm palette of the artwork are inviting and the sage advice, while a bit beyond even the most precocious of babies, will appeal to hip new parents embarking on their own uncharted territory. VERDICT A sweet and tender distillation of what every Earthling needs to know and might well spend a lifetime striving to achieve. A must-purchase for new parent shelves and anywhere the author's work is popular.—Luann Toth, School Library Journal - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 02/01/2018 With quixotic humor, Jeffers takes children on a “welcome to our planet” tour by first pointing out Earth’s position in space. Then he zooms in, crashing out of space and into the bright blues and greens of Earth. The crowded undersea is replete with a hot-pink octopus and colorful fish, the land with mountains and plains, and the sky with many constellations. And then come the people. In a busy double page, he shows 100 different people in various attire doing many occupations and activities. After that, more than 100 animals are accompanied by the cautionary words: “They can’t speak, though that’s no reason not to be nice to them.” The scenes—day and night, rural and urban—are depicted in full-bleed double-page spreads done in pen and watercolor. The resplendent purple globe of the Earth at night shows continents and teeming city lights, as Jeffers stresses, ”There are lots of us on here so be kind.” A celebration of people all shapes and sizes, and of the beauty and mystery of our Earth. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. Loading...
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