The circle of life turns in unexpected ways. Earth Mother awakes with the dawn. As she walks the land, swims the seas, and climbs the mountains, nurturing all of creation, she comes across Man, Frog, and Mosquito. They each give her thanks for nature's bounty, yet can't help but give her advice about making their lives better. Everybody's got an opinion, it seems, and Earth Mother is amused when it becomes clear that the circle of life is not without a healthy dose of cosmic humor. Leo and Diane Dillon lend their formidable talents to Ellen Jackson's original folktale about the unexpected and sometimes humorous ways that life is interconnected. Grade 1-3–Who is Earth Mother? There is no definition or description but she appears to be a form of Mother Nature, blessing and talking to all of the animals on Earth (including Man), tending the plants, bringing the snow and ice to northern climes, and touching the cycle of life. Depicted as a young African-American woman, Earth Mother is serene and gentle, passing through her day and making everyone aware that all is exactly the way it should be. Unfortunately, the text is dry and static: âYou are kind to me, Earth Mother,' said Man. âYou have sent Frog to fill my belly and I am grateful.' Nothing much happens: Man complains that Mosquito bites him, Frog complains that Man eats him, and Mosquito complains that Frog eats him. The magnificent illustrations are classic Leo and Diane Dillon, with a palette dominated by browns, greens, blues, and other earth tones. Soft and elegant, they beg for a brighter text. Still, reading it a few times helps readers realize the book's calming effect. In today's crazy world, an example of things following a routine with soft, caring people and animals is not a bad thing. The art is worth much more than the cover price, and teachers and parents will find a way to use this story. –Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. PreS-Gr. 2. When this lovely, serene African Earth Mother blows across the mesas of the sage-covered deserts, she becomes the wind beneath a hawk's wings. She gives beetles shiny jackets and guides sunbirds to nectar-filled blossoms. In other words, she is the real thing. In an amusing three-part sequence, Man complains to Earth Mother: Frog is very good eating, he says, but Mosquito is annoying. An Earth with no Mosquito, he thinks, would surely be perfect. Earth Mother listens patiently, but her eyes express her true response! Later, Frog feels free to file a complaint. He loves tasty Mosquito, but Man? He is a dangerous predator. The third complainer, Mosquito, fears Frog but is grateful for Man's blood. At day's end, Earth Mother smilingly ignores them all and bids goodnight to her children of all species: "And the world, in its own way, was perfect." The Dillons' watercolor-and-colored-pencil illustrations, filled with geometric patterns, are magical; each is soft and elegant and as artfully composed as an art nouveau poster. A large, flowering plant stalk overlays each bordered frame, further emphasizing the vitality of nature so well captured in this quietly funny, well-told tale. Karin Snelson Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "...a quietly funny, well-told tale." starred review -- Booklist, August, 2005 "A wry and cosmic look at the interdependence of all things...beautiful and satisfying..." -starred review -- Kirkus Reviews, August, 2005 "The Dillons' illustrations capture the spiritual aura of Jackson's graceful words" -starred review -- Publisher's Weekly, July, 2005 (Starred Review) "Quietly funny, well told..." -- Booklist (Starred Review) "Beautiful and satisfying..." (Starred Review) "stunning artwork" EARTH MOTHER has received the following awards: It was named an Instruction Magazine's "top pick," Oct/Nov, 2005. The book received a Parents' Choice Gold Award, Parents' Choice Foundation, Fall, 2005. It was a Best Book for the Holidays, Seattle Public Library, 2005. Selected as a Notable Book by the Sacramento City Unified School District, 2005. It received the Henry Bergh Children's Book Award for Illustration, given by the Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 2005. It was on the Master list for 2006-2007 Black-Eyed Susan Award, Maryland. It received the "Growing Good Kids--2006 Excellence in Children's Literature Award", given by the Junior Master Gardener Program and the American Horticultural Society. Ellen Jackson is an award-winning author of more than fifty fiction and nonfiction books for children. She lives with her family in Santa Barbara, California. Leo Dillon and Diane Dillon have illustrated more than forty books for children, including the Caldecott Medal-winning titles, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema, and Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Margaret Musgrove. The couple live in Brooklyn, N