Book Title: This is the Earth| Author: Deedee Cummings| Illustrator: Charlene Mosley | Category: Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7) | Publisher: Make A Way Media | Release date: April 2019
Book Description: A recent Purple Dragonfly Award First Place winner, Cummings uses bold and bright illustrations in This is the Earth to share a message of peace, love, respect, compassion, inclusion. Published in early 2019, the book’s message bears repeating: Peace is meant for all of us and it is everyone’s responsibility to care for each other like the united family that we really are. This exceptional and timely book shares the reality that we are all sharing this world that we call home instead of acting as though each continent, each, country, and each neighborhood is like a completely different planet. Within the pages of This is the Earth, readers will discover thought and conversation-invoking concepts on issues and struggles that has our world at odds with each other. Kids and adults will love the lyrical message and thoughtful artwork that reinforces the fact that every human being is our neighbor on Planet Earth; a place also known as Home.
My Thoughts: In few words and even fewer pictures, This is the Earth conveys important, complex issues in a way that children can grasp. In doing so, this thought-provoking book prompts questions, conversations and deep thoughts about the world we live in together.
This is the Earth is the tenth book by Deedee Cummings and her command of picture book structure is clear. The sparse, rhyming text flows smoothly throughout the well-paced story while the sentiments within the text work seamlessly with the bright, bold illustrations.
I’m amazed at how much is conveyed through this deceptively simple book. There are very few words on each page, yet the themes resonate across the story without ever being confusing. A glance through the (very helpful) supplemental information at the back of the book shows just how many areas could be considered after reading it. From theories about “peace” to respecting others’ opinions, the notes guide discussions and can lead into longer assignments at the classroom level.
This is the Earth combines themes of compassion, kindness and empathy in the gentle, compelling and artistic pages of a very sweet storybook.
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Meet the Author: Deirdre “Deedee” Cummings believes literacy is a fundamental human right. She is the founder of Make A Way Media, It Pays to Read & the Louisville Book Festival, as well as, an attorney, therapist, and CEO of Abi Behavioral Health in Louisville, Kentucky. Abi is an intensive therapy agency that works to prevent the placement of children in out of home care, such as foster care, hospitalization, and incarceration. Deedee attended Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, one of only two all-female Historically Black Colleges in the country. After graduating from Bennett, she earned a master’s degree and a law degree from the University of Louisville. All of her writing focuses on sharing inspiring messages that remind us all it is never too late to begin again. Deedee encourages the children she works with to write as a way to process emotions, document their journey, and express themselves more clearly. In addition to presenting on multiple topics around the country, Deedee donates hundreds of books and volunteer hours every year to families, children, churches and the local school system. She is excited to announce the launch of her tenth children’s book, This is the Earth. The inspiration for this book came from overwhelming negative media coverage about race relations in our country and across the world. This is the Earth is a book about peace, respect, and diversity inclusion: a message that must be heard and repeated often. She and her husband Anthony live in Louisville with their three children Kayla (an actress in New York), Anthony (a college student and athlete), and Nick (in elementary school).
Enter the Giveaway: Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to WIN signed copies of IN THE NICK OF TIME & THIS IS THE EARTH plus a $25 Amazon Gift Card! (1 winner, USA only)
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