Older Than Dirt

July 17, 2017
In the tradition of Larry Gonick’s The Cartoon History of the Universe, Brown (Drowned City) and geologist Perfit craft a simultaneously irreverent and informative comic that examines how Earth came to be. This grand tour of the planet is hosted by an affable and well-informed groundhog who introduces significant moments, key theories, and scientists, accompanied by an earthworm, who lobs easy questions and provides comic relief. “Radiation from the sun! Where’s my umbrella?” gasps the worm. “You already have one,” replies the groundhog. “It’s called the ozone layer.” Brown strips down unnecessary backgrounds and eliminates extraneous details to focus on exactly what needs to be depicted; one three-panel sequence, for example, follows India’s collision with Asia that created the Himalayas. Brown and Perfit recount Earth’s history mostly through dialogue, except during mini-biographies that explore the discoveries of specific scientists, such as Alfred Wegener, who first proposed the theory of continental drift. The groundhog and worm’s repartee results in a witty history of the planet that packs a remarkable amount of information into an engaging format. Ages 10–12. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary.

September 1, 2017

Gr 3-6-To a wisecracking worm (and readers), a groundhog recaps in graphic panels the history of our planet from the big bang to the present, and beyond. It's a heavy dose of information, but along with the worm's interjections ("Basalt? Does that go with Ba-Pepper?"), Brown's informal drawings and diagrams effectively lighten the load. At times, though, things get a little too casual. An observation that continents "come and go like pizza deliveries" is obscure, and the statement that "Apples don't fall from trees but are drawn to the ground by gravity" is a difference without a distinction. Still, amid entertaining repartee, clear accounts of notable occurrences such as select extinction events ("Earth had a VERY BAD DAY!"), plus explanations of geologic processes such as continental drift, join side profiles (dubbed "Deep Time Comix") of notable geologists to impart a lucid, coherent picture of what our planet's been up to and how we found out. Back matter includes a geologic "clock," source notes, a generous bibliography, and a final graphic featurette that will fill readers in on human-caused climate change. VERDICT Despite a few bobbles, this is a worthy work of graphic nonfiction for earth science units.-John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2017
A groundhog and her worm sidekick offer a concise tour of the Earth's history from the Big Bang to climate change with a glimpse of the bleak, sun-dried future to come--all lightened by frequent humorous asides. Born of the partnership between geology professor Perfit (Univ. of Florida) and prolific graphic novelist Brown, this highly engaging overview briefly introduces a broad range of scientific topics in a vivid and accessible way, for example describing magma as "rock that is so hot that it's gooey, like chocolate fudge." Clear illustrations effectively complement the text, rendering the array of subjects memorable and easy to grasp: a cross section of an apple indicates the relative thinness of the Earth's basalt crust, while a plaid blanket hovering above the planet illustrates the effect on temperatures of excessive carbon dioxide. The groundhog is utterly endearing, and the worm is remarkably expressive considering the absence of limbs and most facial features. Readers will be entertained, informed, and inspired to learn more about whatever piques their curiosity, whether it is uranium, continental drift, glaciers, or one of the featured scientists, such as Marie Tharp. A lengthy bibliography and detailed source notes are an added bonus. A guaranteed hit with science lovers and a best bet for convincing skeptics that science is indeed a grand and exciting adventure. (Graphic nonfiction. 9-14)

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Starred review from July 1, 2017
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* In 100 fact-crammed but surprisingly zippy pages, nonfiction graphic novelist extraordinaire Brown covers 14 billion years of Earth's development. From the big bang to our planet's origin to landmass formation to the appearance of life, Brown and scientific consultant Perfit provide an astonishingly comprehensive overview and manage to humanize it with witty asides from the woodchuck and worm who serve as surrogate teacher and student, as well as quick visits with important historical scientists. Brown's artloose, easy lines but clear, vivid representationsalso strikes a necessary balance between friendly accessibility and accurate portrayal. Comics are not a form naturally inclined to delivery of hard facts, and the speed with which information is conveyed here doesn't make it ideal for, say, supporting a long-range science curriculum. But comics have always held a strong suit in high accessibility for young readers, and this could serve as a good beginning research source and will be a nifty opportunity for burgeoning geologists or anyone looking for a deeper way to explore the real world. A word of warning, though, that between climate change, gradual landmass upheavals, and the eventual cooking of the planet by the sun, things don't wrap up on a particularly hopeful note. Appended with three helpful illustrated diagrams and extensive source notes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)