Origins picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.
(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Origins Picture Books– https://amzn.to/4sDksaZ.)
âť—This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.âť—
The Children of the Sun: An Inca Legend
by Micaela Chirif (Author), Juan Palomino (Illustrator), and Lawrence Schimel (Translator)
Summary: The Sun god was looking at his reflection in a lake when a spark of his flame fell into it, creating a young man, Manco Cápac (MAN-koh KAP-pak), and a young woman, Mama Ocllo (MA-ma AUK-yaw). He gave his children a long stick and told them to make the first city. The stick will know when they are there: Cuzco, the capital of the Inca civilization.
Comments: This lyrical retelling of an Inca creation myth is illustrated with an earthy palette, complementing the origin story of the first city, and the cultural and spiritual perspectives of how the world was shaped.
The back matter includes more information about the legend and helpful terms.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 4.5/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—1/2
*I received a free copy of this book.
We Go Way Back: A Book About Life on Earth and How it All Began
by Idan Ben-Barak (Author), Philip Bunting (Illustrator).
Summary: Young readers examine the definition of “life” and where it all begins. The book explores a complex question by breaking it down into a slow progression of how the Earth was created and how molecules formed.
Comments: Large and colorful illustrations also help clarify the concepts.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 3.5/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—1/2
RememberÂ
by Joy Harjo (Author), Michaela Goade (Illustrator).
Summary: The poem encourages a young girl to remember one’s heritage, parents, and Mother Nature through reflection on how all is connected.
Comments: The eye-appealing two-page glossy illustrations are in the voice of the Indigenous culture.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 4/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—
We Are Human AnimalsÂ
by Rosie Haine (Author and Illustrator)
Summary: The family and people are Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers who lived about 25,000 years ago when humans rose with the sun and slept when it set. They made tools from nature around them, ate what they picked or caught, and everything they owned was handmade. Some animals were their friends, while others were eaten (or run from). The stars were their GPS. They were closer to Nature. We are still human animals but are very different today in many ways.
Comments: Author’s Note briefly explains how the first humans lived on Earth.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 3.5/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—1/2
How the Sea Came to Be: (And All the Creatures In It)Â
by Jennifer Berne (Author), Amanda Hall (Illustrator)
Summary: This narrative nonfiction picture book is divided into Part One: The Birth of the Sea, Part Two: The Birth of Life, Part Three: All That the Sea Came to Be…From Then to Now, and a section of informative back pages including a foldout of ocean creatures over time.
Comments: The text is in a stanza of four lines with lines 2 & 4 rhyming. The illustrations are large and colorful; I found myself stopping to soak up the way the creatures were evolving.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 4/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—
You Are My Pride: A Love Letter from Your Motherland
by Carole Boston Weatherford (Author), E. B. Lewis (Illustrator).
Summary: This touching poem, illustrated with large two-page illustrations done in watercolors, is a lovely letter from Mother Nature telling her human children how much she has loved them since the beginning of their creation on Earth.
Comments: The back pages briefly explain the Developments in Early Human Evolution. It is written from the perspective of the Earth speaking to us.
This would be an ideal mentor text for lessons on point-of-view and personification. Perhaps students could write a letter back to the earth.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 4/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified retired elementary school librarian, who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted