Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
One Million Things: Planet Earth
Nonfiction
For ages 9 to 12
DK Publishing, 2009 ISBN: 978-0756652357
Our planet is a fascinating place and it is full of amazing things, many of which we don’t know about or even ignore. In this book you will find out one million amazing things about our unique home.
The journey begins with an exploration of the planet’s place in the universe and how it was made and shaped. We are told that Earth’s galaxy, the Milk Way, contains about 500 billion stars. Our solar system is much smaller, containing eight planets and our sun. In addition to these planets, there are asteroids, comets, and moons in our ‘neighborhood.’ As we turn the pages, we learn about Earth came to have oceans, mountains, and other features, and how it is still changing today.
Next the author explores rocks and minerals. Here we find out how minerals, gemstones, metals, igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, fossils, and metamorphic rocks form. We also can see how rocks do not stay in one form forever. Environments are constantly changing, and what was once a rock in a mountain could well become sand on a beach one day.
These two sections are followed by chapters about “Water and weather,” “Life Zones,” and “Human Influence.” Throughout the book, every double page spread explores one topic and superb annotated photos, illustrations, diagrams, and maps break up the text.
This is the kind of book that young readers can dip into whenever they are in the mood to learn about something new and interesting. The information is beautifully presented, and as they read, young readers will come to appreciate that they live on a most extraordinary planet, one that they need to take care of.
