The Environment: Explore, Create and Investigate! (What On Earth series)
Written by Jonathan Litton and illustrated by Pau Morgan
Published by Quarto Publishing
Available September 22, 2020
Ages 6-12 years

This introduction to the earth’s environment blends foundational information on biodiversity and the ozone layer, with how humans play a part in the planet’s safekeeping. Jonathan Litton divides the nonfiction picture book into different learning-focused pages (Explore, Investigate, and Create) with themed pages that go deep into topics  such as carbon dioxide and its role in global warming. Explore pages impart fact-based information against colorful, educational illustrations. Pau Morgan prominently features humans in their artwork, reinforcing humanity’s effects on the world around them. Color-coded topic tagging, factoid bubbles, and illustration-based puzzles draw readers into the surprisingly dense subject matter. Investigate pages offer observation-based science activities, such as recreating an oil spill with common kitchen ingredients or tracking animals that frequent a bird feeder. Create pages invite readers to put what they have learned into action, such as making a personal microhabitat; some of the Create activities are more labor intensive and require adult supervision. The Environment: Explore, Create and Investigate! features a glossary, index, and templates for activities featured in the book.