Our Air
By (Author) G. Brian Karas
Illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Nancy Paulsen Books
Nancy Paulsen Books
18th November 2025
21st October 2025
United States
Children
Non Fiction
Childrens / Teenage general interest: Nature, animals, the natural world
551.5
Hardback
32
Width 229mm, Height 267mm
567g
A lively, enlightening look at the role the air plays in our lives and our world
Its easy to take the air for granted. Although its always around us, we dont often give it much thought. We cant see, smell, or hear it, but we can certainly feel it moveand that breeze you feel on a windy day is part of a larger air current circling our planet and bringing us all kinds of weather. Our air gives us life, and it makes up the atmosphere that protects us. And because everyone here on Earth shares it, its important to take care of our air.
With striking art and an expressive text, G. Brian Karas brings our air into focus and will give readers a new appreciation for this precious substance.
A very simple introduction to what air is and does. Addressing both readers and the books cast of racially and culturally diverse youngsters, the gaseous narrator begins by distinguishing itself from the things it carries. . . . Likewise, though we cant hear air, we can feel the moisture it contains. Its particles can change the color of the skyand sometimes make your nose itch. Air helps to shield the planet from harmful rays and other hazards, rivers of it circle the Earth, and its energy can be harnessed. Air has changed over time and is still changing. Most importantly, because air connects every living thing (Everyone is sharing me with everyone else), its vital to care for it. The chain of logic is unassailable. Karas deftly adds informational content visually with (among other things) a world map of labeled jet streams and prevailing winds, as well as a gallery of airborne particulates such as soot, seeds, and spores. He goes on to fill in more detail about airs dynamic relationship with our planet and biosphere in a short afterword. Light, refreshing, and clear. Kirkus Reviews
G. Brian Karas (GBrianKaras.com) is the award-winning author-illustrator of many books for children, including As an Oak Tree Grows, On Earth, and Atlantic. He also illustrated The Boy Who Loved Maps (by Kari Allen); Lemonade in Winter (by Emily Jenkins); Clever Jack Takes the Cake (by Candace Fleming); and The Little Library, The Dinosaur Expert, and How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin (all by Margaret McNamara). He lives in New Yorks Hudson Valley.