Puff

February 1, 2024
An invitation to appreciate the invisible blanket of gases that protect our planet. In a similarly whimsical follow-up to Drop: An Adventure Through the Water Cycle (2021), a white puff with a smiley face and a stylish quiff conducts readers through simple explanations of how our atmosphere goes everywhere--even deep into the oceans and beneath the surface of the land--to help keep Earth warm, carry droplets of water, deliver the oxygen we require and the carbon dioxide plants need to survive, and spread pollen and seeds. All the smiles, plus neatly drawn flora and fauna floating through blue waters or wafting by under sunny skies, create a beneficent picture undimmed by any mention of hurricanes or jet streams; even the swirling tornado quickly gives way to an assurance that "most of the time, Puff cruises gently" from warmer areas to cooler or vice versa. Sandwiched between summary overviews of our atmosphere's composition and the ins and outs of forces governing atmospheric circulation, the tour concludes with a cheery "Yay! Breathe it all in!" Two brown-skinned human children do just that in the illustrations, either sitting mindfully or standing beneath a windswept kite. Fresh and breezy, if a bit thin. (Informational picture book. 5-7)

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March 1, 2024
Preschool-Grade 1 This beginner science text explains in easy-to-understand terms and formatting how important air is to life on Earth, including in the sky, underground, and in the sea. To make the learning process accessible, the author employs Puff, a cute mass of air who has been on Earth since the planet's inception. Cheerful illustrations reveal Puff as a small, smiling, circular being with a swirl on his forehead. Puff and his friends are the reason Earth is warmer than outer space and protected from excess radiation. Humans and other animals breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon, which along with nitrogen and a few other gases make up air. Sometimes Puff moves fast, as in a rainstorm or tornado, while other times he is a gentle breeze. Puff is even capable of spreading seeds and therefore promoting more life on Earth. The book begins with an explanation of the gases that combine to create air and ends with an informational page titled, "How Does Air Move?"

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