To Change a Planet -- Christina Soontornvat, Hardcover

A beautiful ode to our planet and a clarion call to protect it.

Our planet seems tough,

but it is fragile.

Our planet seems big,

but it needs us.

Spare, poetic text and jaw-dropping pictures gently illuminate the causes of climate change while also providing hope and hands-on solutions that will edify and empower even the youngest readers.

One carbon dioxide molecule may seem small and insignificant. But when cars, factories, and cities let loose millions and billions and trillions, they can trap and stifle like a too-warm blanket. One notch higher on the thermometer may seem small and insignificant, but one notch higher can change our seas, our seasons, life, us. But when one person and one person and one person become many...THEY can change a planet--for the better.

With calm, truthfulness, and beauty, To Change a Planet demonstrates the importance of caring for our planet, and how our individual and collective actions multiplied together can make the world better. Eye popping explosions of color on every page create a stunning visual narrative that invites readers to spot and follow the same characters through their daily lives and ultimately to the famous climate march on Washington. Clear, informative, and meticulously researched endnotes answer a myriad of questions in simple language, cite irrefutable sources, and provide hands-on solutions that even young children can be a part of.

With our planet warming at an alarming pace, and the effects of climate change ravaging whole communities and countries--especially the most vulnerable populations--we need clearheaded, fact-based stories about the reality of climate change more than ever. This book will be especially appealing to parents, caregivers, STEM teachers, and librarians looking to help children understand the natural world and to foster responsibility and stewardship. It is also sure resonate with budding young climate activists.

Author: Christina Soontornvat
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: 08/02/2022
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.09lbs
Size: 10.23h x 10.35w x 0.41d
ISBN: 9781338628616
Audience: Ages 4-8

Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 07/01/2022 pg. 77

About the Author
Rahele Jomepour Bell is the illustrator of the picture books Our Favorite Day of the Year, Playdate, and Book's Big Adventure, and also contributed artwork to Scholastic Press's nonfiction picture book anthology In the Spirit of the Dream. Rahele immigrated to the United States from Iran in 2011 to pursue her dream of studying art at Iowa State University, where she received her MFA in integrated visual arts. You can learn more about her work at RaheleStudio.com.
Christina Soontornvat began this book during a time when she was searching for hope. As I wrote, I realized that the mechanism behind climate change many small things coming together to make a big impact also gives us a framework for how we can work together to help our planet. Hope is the first step in problem-solving, and I am hopeful we can change our future for the better. She is the author of two Newbery Honor books A Wish in the Dark and All Thirteen, which also won a Sibert Honor distinction. Christina is the author of Scholastic's beloved fantasy series Diary of an Ice Princess, and the picture books The Ramble Shamble Children, The Blunders, and Simon at the Art Museum. Christina holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a master's degree in Science Education. She spent a decade working in the science museum field, where she designed programs and exhibits to get kids excited about science and STEM. Christina lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, two young children, and one old cat. You can learn more about her work at soontornvat.com.