BRAINS ON! PRESENTS...EARTH FRIEND FOREVER

An anthropomorphic planet Earth pens an open letter to humans appealing for an end to plastic pollution.

On the heels of Brains On! Presents...It's Alive: From Neurons and Narwhals to the Fungus Among Us (2020), the creators of American Public Media’s science podcast for kids, Brains On! turn their attention to one of the major ecological threats of our time. Addressing the young reader directly, a winsome-looking Earth with an expressive face, arms, and hands introduces itself: “Dear little humans living on me: It’s your E.F.F.!” With this endearing riff on BFF (Best Friends Forever) setting the tone, Earth describes how it has proudly followed human development from the dawn of creation and loyally provided fresh air, food, and water: “I always have your back because you live on mine.” But Earth has a complaint: Plastic is everywhere. Though useful and important, it doesn't disappear, and it’s making the animals and the environment “uncomfortable.” Confident that this problem can be solved, Earth offers readers some practical solutions: using eco-friendly plastic alternatives, refilling water bottles, recycling, picking up trash, and perfecting chemical recycling methods that break down plastic. Orodán’s exuberant illustrations, rendered in digitally colored pencil sketches, depict people of all races, ages, and sizes and include a girl wearing a hijab and a person using a wheelchair. The endpapers reinforce the message with two contrasting seascapes.

A playful expression of a serious concern, hopeful enough to be suitable even for the read-aloud crowd.