Sentences of large-print text and colorful stock photographs move from the ubiquity of air to pollution to fighting pollution. After an upbeat foreword from actor Julianne Moore, who mentions, among other things, that "kids are smart," it is a let-down to realize that most of the pages that follow are generalized truisms about air that only the youngest children may not have grasped--that air goes out "when a baby screams"; that all creatures and all plants need air; that wind is moving air; that air carries sounds and smells. The book then amps up the complexity with the statement that "air looks and smells bad when it is dirty. That's called air pollution." Nevertheless, an older child might enjoy reading the book to a younger one and explaining such photographs as one with solar panels and another showing a child using an inhaler. Both text and photographs are winners in terms of gender equality, multiculturalism, and ethnic diversity. after the final comparison of clean air to love, there are two pages with a little more specific information, such as a simple explanation of air's composition and the cool fact that children take about twice as many breaths as adults. However, even here there are too many sentences reiterating the fact that clean air is important.

A prettily packaged bit of environmentalism for the youngest readers from a writing team of children's health advocates. - Kirkus Reviews Air: a fundamental source of life that people take for granted, even as they depend on it. By making air visible through plentiful illustrations and simple examples in the text, Ajmera and Browning remind readers to be responsible for this important resource. Each two-page spread describes a trait of air: it carries sound, it moves, it can be felt and seen. Photographs of people, plants, animals, and the planet visually support these traits, depicting faces and places that all readers will recognize and relate to. Air fills balloons, and bubbles, makes kites fly, blows an umbrella inside out, and turns windmills to create energy. The dangers of air pollution are described, as well as ways to prevent and repair the damage humans have caused. Blending simple science concepts about the nature of air with pictures that bring it all home, this book will inspire readers to take care of this crucial, wonderful, ubiquitous element.

Explanatory panels at the end provide supplementary information in an FAQ format. - Booklist.