Earthshake: Poems from the Ground Up
Lisa Westberg Peters, illus. Cathie Felstead
Greenwillow, 2003. 32 pages, ages 7-10.
ISBN 0-0602-9265-2
Maybe that plain old rock has gleaming jewels inside.
Maybe Africa and South America used to be best friends.
Maybe a clam that died 300 million years ago is in your backyard.
What secrets is Earth hiding? These twenty-two poems leave no stone unturned in exploring the world's natural wonders.
Crack this book open and watch geology sparkle.
School Library Journal
- 2004 Riverbank Review Book of Distinction
- School Library Journal's Best Books 2003
School Library Journal, starred review
Twenty-two delightful poems with a geological theme, including pieces on tectonic plates, lava, strata, and fossils. Exuberant, silly, and serious by turns, the selections engage imagination with often-humorous wordplay. The simple yet clever collages, many of which incorporate clip-art elements, deepen the intellectual and emotional content, yet keep a light tone. The large images and uncomplicated layouts enhance the read-aloud potential. This book offers a great jumping-off point for earth science, geology/geography, and even math classes. Three pages of endnotes provide additional factual and background details.
Cris Reidel, Ellis B. Hyde Elementary School, Dansville, NY
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