THE AMICUS BOOK OF EARTH

Take a mini-tour around the world in this vibrantly collaged introduction to 10 different habitats.

This diminutive board book covers the basics, like deserts and jungles, but also veers into less-well-traveled habitats, like “the poles” and “the skies.” On most pages, there’s the requisite representative animals and plants, such as a stylized lion in the “grasslands” or an assortment of trees in the “forest,” but in another departure, human activities (though no actual humans) are given space. There’s a page devoted to “cities,” and instead of the expected fish, “oceans” are filled with various jaunty ships. Elegantly collaged illustrations have a flat, contemporary feel to them; they are made of various textured papers in primarily matte, muted colors with a few richly colored highlights. Whether a noble deer strutting his stuff or a concerned adult tiger peeking at a precocious cub, the animals have whimsical faces and poses. While the art shines, however, the text is uneven. Repetitive exclamation points are wearing, and onomatopoeic words incorporated into the art vary from charming to confusing (“orbit!” isn’t really a sound). Most of the succinct tidbits of information, like “the poles are very icy and cold,” are clear, but some, like “the Earth is the third planet from the Sun,” are too nebulous for younger listeners to understand.

Though the text sometimes stumbles, the art makes it an attractive addition to the habitat shelf.