February 24, 2023
Gr 1-5-This work features all different kinds of footprints: physical footprints, carbon, and digital. The gorgeous images move readers through the pages, and the text is very spare, making the book accessible to a wide range of readers. It is written in an uplifting and inspiring tone, touching on sometimes negative topics, like our carbon footprints, in a positive way. Educators can incorporate this book into all kinds of curricula, from cutting down on our carbon footprint before Earth Day to limiting our digital footprint when teaching about safe internet use. This would be a great choice for research projects, too, with different sections inspiring many possible topics and lessons. Back matter includes additional information about featured ideas. The great photographs and interesting facts make this appropriate for almost all elementary grades. VERDICT An awesome way to get kids excited to look more closely at the world around them, this beautiful photographic book is recommended for elementary collections.-Christina Salazar
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 1, 2022
Footprints show the impact of human actions on Earth in this eco-friendly nonfiction picture book. Swanson's simple text, accompanied by clear, detailed photography, highlights the many different sizes and shapes of footprints. A photo of an elephant's large prints shows a child leaping from one to the next alongside a photograph of the animals walking. Small footprints of insects and other animals are shown before the work showcases a diverse array of human footwear. Footprints "capture adventures at the greatest heights," the book notes, showing paths on mountains and on the moon. The text moves on to metaphorical footprints, suggesting that young activists follow in the steps of historical changemakers, then briefly addresses digital and carbon footprints, further explained in notes at the back. Swanson's accessible text is tailored to emergent readers, with few pages featuring more than one sentence; most passages stretch over multiple pages. The metaphorical footprints are likely to require adult discussion about what it means to leave behind traces of one's actions. The selection of uncredited photos is excellent, with images from history and nature that are well suited to each idea; Rosa Parks and Greta Thunberg are among the changemakers featured. The text doesn't name many of them, though, which will leave readers who don't recognize them at a loss. An excellent choice for nature-loving elementary readers.
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