Our World Out of Balance: Understanding Climate Change and What We Can Do

Gr 3-6–This book is packed with information about the climate crisis, from the rise in sea levels to intensive farming to threats to biodiversity. The narrative structure is purposefully organized: each section explains the problem, then includes a before-and-after section that describes what happened prior to the accelerating climate crisis and what is happening now. The following two pages outline how the problem works, how readers can help, and how others are helping. The eye-catching illustrations enhance the content, particularly in the “how” sections, where the artwork emphasizes the steps in the process being discussed. For example, a spread in the section “Extreme Weather Events” shows how a tropical cyclone starts. The images are infused with energy and movement that matches the event. These colorful illustrations fill the pages, with clear sectioning and symmetry between the topics. The back matter includes a glossary, an index, and a list of organizations focused on citizen science and protecting the planet. This English translation of a text originally released in Italian provides an excellent resource for classroom and library collections that seek contemporary works on climate change for young readers.