Our Home, Our Only Home, written by Marion Dane Bauer and illustrated by Sophie Diao. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 6 and up

 

"For all our knowing, though, 
we barely noticed our new fuel 
filling the sky 
with gases. 
Or the fertilizers and pesticides
washing from our fields 
into streams, 
into rivers, 
into oceans. 
We forgot 
as we cut down forests." 

Ms. Bauer uses a mix of poetry and science to bring ecological awareness to her readers; together she posits they can help to save this planet that is our home. She begins by reminding those who share her book that ours is the only planet that can sustain life. Over billions of years, it has changed, then changed again in the most amazing ways to move through periods of extinction. Yet, it survives. 

It took all that time before humans appeared, with a brain that tamed fire - for heat, for protection, for cooking the food that made us healthier in every way that mattered. Because of fire, people lived. Too soon, humans also discovered coal, oil, and gas which led to the development of machines that used those fossil fuels. The effects of those inventions and the ways in which they were used has brought us to a crisis on our planet. We didn't see what they were doing to our home and our environment. 

"Our lives had never been better, 
never been easier." 

It has not taken nearly as many years to get to where we are now. In fact, much has changed in the last few decades - rapid change that has never been seen before now. Her approach in the second half of the book is to suggest actions that can be taken and to talk about those who inspire others to make a difference. They may be teenagers, or those who have worked tirelessly throughout their lives to help us understand just exactly what is happening, and what changes will help. It's important to think beyond the human perspective and consider what it means to put the Earth first and do what's best to be sure every life is protected. 

Stunning digital illustrations ensure that readers are made aware of the emergency that is climate change and also begin to understand that we all can play a part with hope, action, and letting others know how to help turn things around for all. 

"Begin by being grateful."

Frog: A Story of Life on Earth, written by Isabel Thomas and illustrated by Daniel Egneus. Bloomsbury, Raincoast. 2026. $26.99 ages 8 and up

 

"But if frogs come from eggs, 

and eggs come from frogs, 

where did the first frog 
come from?"

Beginning with the life cycle of the frog, and a child observing a frog's eggs in the pond visited, the author poses the question that will lead to sharing the history of the universe based on a frog's life. That story begins before frogs and everything else, including people, plants, Earth and stars. In fact, it begins with a very hot speck impossible to imagine. 

A BIG BANG happened when that speck expanded and created a universe. Small and energetic, 'there were no frogs yet'.  Going back billions of years, Ms. Thomas shares how stars and planets formed, followed by life ... but still no frogs. It took eight billion years to form the Sun and eight planets. The best of all of those was Earth, where life could develop because of its perfect atmosphere. 

The accuracy of the storytelling allows young children to understand complicated ideas of how life today came to be. Repeating the phrase 'but there were no frogs yet' keeps readers looking ahead to a time when there will be frogs. Ther progression is laid out clearly and enhanced by mixed-media illustrations that are stunning in their scope, filling spreads with scientific accuracy as stars explode, and the world moves toward what children know today. 

Text circles back to the origin story of amphibians: 'the ancestors of every living animal with four limbs, whether legs, or flippers, arms, or wings, including ... the very first frog!' Long after dinosaurs, frogs survived throughout the world. One exceptional spread shows many colorful species found around the world. As their ancestors, a frog's life cycle remains as it has always been. 

"Next time you see a tadpole, egg, or frog, 
marvel at this animal like any other, 
formed from stardust scattered through
space, created by chemistry, conditions, 
and chance.

Not just a frog, 
but the story of the universe, retold."

As they have done in two previous books, Moth (Bloomsbury, 2018) and Fox (Bloomsbury, 2021), this incredibly talented team uses an animal familiar to readers to examine a life cycle, and offer an accessible look at evolution in a way that is perfectly understandable for their target audience. Backmatter tells The Story of Everything in a double-page spread that offers context for the awesome and wondrous story of evolution. For those kids always wanting to know more, this is sure to be read again and again. 

"You are a whisper of the past.

You are a wonder of the universe."