OUR HOME, OUR ONLY HOME

An amalgam of poetry and science rallies readers to help save the planet.

Bauer skips through Earth’s evolutionary history, then lingers on the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs and on the appearance of humans, “the most vulnerable / of all creatures.” Vulnerable, perhaps, but Bauer notes that “we used our big brains / to tame / fire,” which meant we were then eating better. The bigger our brains grew, the more we drew from Earth’s belly—oil, coal, gas—later creating pesticides and plastic, which polluted our water and soil. She succinctly summarizes humankind’s march toward a Sixth Great Extinction: “Only a humongous asteroid / ever brought more rapid change / than we have created / with our love / of fire.” Writing in lyrical free verse, Bauer argues that as latecomers to Earth, we’ve had an outsize impact on its health, which is vividly portrayed in Diao’s illustrations of starry nights, fiery caves, and denuded landscapes. In the second half of the book, more essay than free verse, Bauer suggests positive actions, such as turning to wind and water power. She lauds inspirational activists who began their work as teenagers—Greta Thunberg and Autumn Peltier—as well as organizations like Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots. Bauer then urges readers to dig within their vast imaginations: “Imagine a future in which this life-giving Earth is honored. In which life is protected. Every form of life. Not just our own.”

A necessary and optimistic call to action.