Dear Children of Earth by Schim Schimmel

Schimmel, S. (1994). Dear children of the earth: a letter from home. Minocqua, WI: NorthWord Press.

Dear Children of Earth is a wonderful book to use for the introduction of environmental sciences to your classroom.   This book is a letter from Earth to children who inhabit it explaining all of the beauties that the Earth provides to mankind.  The Earth explains its animals, scenery, and what would happen if pollution were to overtake and kill everything.  Even someone as small as a child can change for the better and help our Earth by making tiny promises to do better by our planet.  This is a great introductory text to the importance of the planet, and even how in the galaxy, we are just one tiny spec.  If we continue to not do our part, then it could affect the entire galaxy.

This book would most like appeal to a kindergarten through second grade setting, read as a whole classroom read aloud. 

This story is wonderful in teaching children about accountability and how everyday our actions have a consequence, especially to our oldest friend: the Earth.   It's utterly engaging with the beautiful illustrations which could draw any child into the story of our planet.   When you read the letter from Earth, it is speaking to the audience in a serious, but endearing matter, almost just as if you were all sitting around an actual person telling their story.   Children would love this book as it begins to spark their interest on how they can  become better citizens in saving their own dear planet. 

What's inside?

Letter format: This book is great jumping off point to introduce formatting letters in your classroom.  It has a beginning address and a signature closing. 

Dear Children of the Earth...

I love you with all of my heart, 
                      Mother Earth

Personification:  The Earth in this book takes a role as an actual being telling their story on, and children can grasp that idea.  It has emotion and takes on human-like qualities as a character. 

Do you know what I see when I look in the mirror?  I see all the animals walking on my land. 

Repetition: There are phrases that are repeated throughout this book to really drive home the message that the author was trying to portray.

And just like you, there is only one of me.  If you love me, care for me, and protect me, I will always be your Home.

How can we teach this?
As I said earlier, this is a great introduction book to teach letter formatting.  This book can spark children's interests into writing a letter to an environmental agency or even humans just like the Earth did.  They can learn reasoning, and providing evidence as to why someone would need to protect the Earth, so we can have a better life for the future.