A Gift of Dust - by Martha Brockenbrough (Hardcover)

About the Book

"An ancient catfish becomes a fossil, and as the lake where it lived dries up, the fossil turns to dust--but this isn't ordinary dust. This dust begins in Chad, West Africa, but winds carry it across the continent, over the Atlantic Ocean, to nourish and replenish the Amazon rain forest and beyond. A Gift of Dust takes readers on a journey that shows just how interconnected our planet is, and how something so small can have such a huge impact. With lyrical ... verse based in fact, and ... art from a Caldecott honoree, this is a story for our times"--

Book Synopsis

From two award-winning creators comes a picture book that reveals the hidden wonders of how Saharan Dust impacts the world: from slowing a hurricane to nourishing a rainforest.

This dust . . .
of what lived once
sustains what lives today
and what will be born . . .
tomorrow.

An ancient catfish becomes a fossil, and as the lake where it lived dries up, the fossil turns to dust--but this isn't ordinary dust. This dust begins in Chad, West Africa, but winds carry it across the continent, over the Atlantic ocean, to nourish and replenish the Amazon rain forest and beyond.

A Gift of Dust takes readers on a journey that shows just how interconnected our planet is, and how something so small can have such a huge impact. With lyrical, awe-inspiring verse based in fact, and stunning art from a Caldecott honoree, this is a story for our times.

Review Quotes

★ "This illuminating book brings an often-overlooked natural phenomenon to life....A beautiful blend of text and drawings shows the cycle of life through dust." --School Library Journal, starred review

★ "Light, airy illustrations dotted with golden specks float across the pages, lending a near-magical atmosphere....providing clear and fascinating scientific explanations of Saharan dust along the way." --The Horn Book, starred review

"Brockenbrough lays out a thorough, informative story....Caldecott honoree Martinez-Neal's art is a showstopper....A natural wonder, brought to vivid life." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Martha Brockenbrough is the author of more than twenty books for young readers, from picture books up through YA. Some of her picture books include I Am an American: the Wong Kim Ark Story (ALA Noteable Book for Children), This Old Dog, Cheerful Chick, and more! Her books have made several Best of The Year lists. She lives in Seattle with her family.

Juana Martinez-Neal is the winner of the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award for La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, and the 2019 Caldecott Honor Award for Alma and How She Got Her Name, which she also wrote. She is also the recepient of the 2020 Robert E. Sibert Medal for Fry Bread: A Native American Story. Originally from Lima, Peru, she lives with her husband and three children in Connecticut where she cooks with lots of Roma tomatoes.