The combination of artful text and beautiful illustrations make the idea of evolution come to life, In the author's note the author says his goal was to tell about the incredible changes that occurred over the more than 4.5 billion years on our planet. That is exactly what he has done. The back matter that includes small reproductions of each illustration, with additional information is a real plus. These illustrations and text invite readers to revisit the book many times.

An amazing, astonishing and beautiful book. Drawings are full of hues, details and a lovely style. Rich vocabulary, and a list of explanations in the back! Would've been nice for my after school group of ages 8 and 12. I am not setting limits, but vocabulary is sophisticated. I encourage getting this book, as it shows a scientific perspective in a story like narrative. Each page has about ten or so words, thus making easy to read. Will look for a hardcopy once I have a children of my own.

My daughter loved this book. The illustrations drew her in and the sentences were easy for her to read (with some assistance). She found the concept of "millions" and "billions" hard to understand since she is not used to such big numbers. So some explanation of the magnitude of time involved will be the cherry on the cake.

The section at the end, with the thumbnails, really helped her in putting everything together.

A visual feast, When Planet Earth Was New is an absolutely beautiful book. The illustrations are amazingly well done. This is a book that both kids and adults will want to look at repeatedly, just to admire. And hopefully, in that time time, the brief verse regarding the earth's history and evolution will start to sink into impressionable minds.

When Planet Earth Was New is a fantastic introduction to the history of our planet. It gives only the broadest strokes, but that perfectly lays the basic foundation upon which a stronger knowledge base can be built. James Gladstone knows how to keep it on a level his intended audience can easily understand.

The language used is simple and the font is large and clear. The words are on a solid background as opposed to being overlaid on the pictures.

And did I mention the pictures were pretty? Seriously, this book could easily be turned into a coffee table book. Katherine Diemart is a very talented artist, and each picture looks like she spent lots of time getting it just perfect.

After the meat of the book is over, the illustrations for each page are shown again in thumbnail form with explanation about what is being witnessed in each particular image. There is also a glossary that explains some of the more unfamiliar words, as well as a brief author's note.

Overall, When Planet Earth Was New is absolutely worth getting for your kiddo. Preferably in hardback if that becomes available. I kind of want it for my kid, and she's too old for it!

I'm a high school science teacher (biology & astronomy), and I also have two young sons (3rd grade & kindergarten). I know that both my boys would love the gorgeous illustrations, and the writing and information is just at the right level for them. I can also see using the book in my biology class as an introduction or review of early Earth. It has just the right amount of content for an overview.

I was startled by the beauty and comforted by the narrative. Excellence personified.

Gorgeous illustrations support the poetic journey of earth's evolution. Back matter includes additional notes about each spread, glossary, as well as additional resources. Great resource for STEM classroom.