Look inside

Too sick to go to school, Sean is entertained when his fisherman puppet comes to life and they leave the Earth to see it from the outside looking in. This book, which is told mainly in rhyme, introduces young readers (ages 4–8) to plate tectonics. The detailed black-and-white pencil drawings are sure to delight readers of all ages.

Charles Ferguson Barker earned his bachelor's degree in geology at Arizona State University, where he first learned about plate tectonics from his professor Dr. Robert S. Dietz, who coined the phrase “seafloor spreading.” After earning his master's degree in geology at Boston University, Barker decided to write and illustrate a book for children, introducing the basic concepts of plate tectonics. Barker teaches geology, presents lectures to elementary school students about geology, and works in the environmental consulting field.