Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm again collaborate to shine a light on how the sun fuels life on Earth, this time focusing on how millions of years ago, sunlight was trapped in living plants that eventually died and decayed. Buried deep underground, today these plants are fossil fuels. The informative, accessible narrative, set against beautiful full-page illustrations, describes the creation of fossil fuels and how they are burned as coal and oil and natural gas, as well as the environmental impact since humans began burning fossil fuels at a rate that cannot maintain the carbon balance of earth. Packed with science, it’s a book that also poses important questions: “Will you humans keep burning more and more fossil fuels every year and risk the changes this will bring? Or will you work together to use my ancient sunlight more slowly, find other sources of energy….The choice is yours.” Extensive, conversational notes provide more information on the relationship between fossil fuels and climate change. (Ages 8–11)

Acclaimed Caldecott Artist Molly Bang teams up with award-winning M.I.T. professor Penny Chisholm to present the fascinating, timely story of fossil fuels.

What are fossil fuels, and how did they come to exist? This engaging, stunning book explains how coal, oil, and gas are really "buried sunlight," trapped beneath the surface of our planet for millions and millions of years.Now, in a very short time, we are digging them up and burning them, changing the carbon balance of our planet's air and water. What does this mean, and what should we do about it?