(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amy Husband & Mike Love. "Billions of years ago, Earth was very hot." This effective overview begins by describing conditions that made life possible on the planet and how climate change has occurred naturally over the millennia. Most of the discussion is devoted to our current environmental crisis, touching on extreme weather, threats to animal and human populations, and exacerbation of poverty (particularly for girls and women). The lively double-page spreads balance the sober text with cartoonlike touches (speech bubbles, burping livestock), making concepts more accessible to younger readers. A glossary is appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn