The book stops and remarks on each layer of the earth with beautiful, eye-catching illustrations, scientific information (did you know that the deepest hole ever dug is in Russia and is 7.6 miles deep into the Earth???), and helpful discussion questions--"What's beneath our feet?" "What's inside our planet?" "Why do volcanoes form and continents shift?"

The book is being marketed to support NGSS Earth’s Systems for grades 2-4, but I think younger kids may also enjoy this book, and it is a good complement to any lessons on the Earth's layers that children learn in school.

Scratching the Surface: Exploring Earth's Layers will be published August 1, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, Capstone, Capstone Editions, Kate Allen Fox (author), and Erin Brown (illustrator) for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I like that there is both simpler text, for younger kids, and more complex text to give the reader or their caregiver more information on the topics discussed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone Editions for allowing me to read an ARC of this one! I loved it and will definitely be buying it for my boys. I loved the way it was written and illustrated. Very easy for kids to read and understand!

What a fun way to read about our planet! Its a great way to teach younger children about the layers of Earth and helps break it down for them. Loved it and would definitely use this as a teaching tool!

Scratching the Surface brings the Earth's layers to life. Wonderfully illustrated science picture book with visuals of the crust, mantle, outer, and inner core. It introduces students not only to geology, but scientific method and inquiry at the same time. A great addition to the elementary science library.

Enter into the world beneath the surface where we play, and farm, and enjoy parks and more.
This is an exciting book that goes deeply from the surface, down through the layers of earth and
many of the things that we have already learned about the astounding things that exist beneath our feet. This STEM book includes a reminder of what is the scientific method and includes a glossary and a bibliography to encourage further study.
The illustrations by Erin Brown are simply perfect and in bright colors that make their meanings clear.
Well suited for reading WITH someone any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, waiting room, or your local public library.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected readers' proof on Thorium PDF from Capstone | Capstone Editions via NetGalley. ***** review #bookbub #goodreads #storygraph @childrensbookcouncil
##ScratchingtheSurface by @kateallenfox and @erinbrownillo #NetGalley @capstonepub #childrensbookillustration #kidlit #BooksForKids #scratchingthesurface #learningthroughbooks #geologyforkids #kidlitart #kidlitSTEM #bookstagrammer #readaloud #kidsbookstagram #picturebooks #picturebookrecommendations #bookswelove #kidsbooks #picturebooksofinstagram #librarian #librarylove

Libro bellissimo. Questo anno a scuola ho parlato della terra, Se fosse stato possibile lo avrei utilizzato con i miei alunni . è un libro bello da vedere e spiegato in un modo affascinante. I bambini sono molto incuriositi nel guardarlo. Disegni belli colorati e pieni. Uno rimane tanto tempo a guardarlo perché è pieno di particolari che colgono la riflessione e interesse. Adatto ai bambini di 5 anni ai dieci. se poi è un bambino molto attratto dall'argomento in piccole dosi anche a quattro anni

This book is fun, informative, easy to read and the illustrations are AMAZING. My daughter and I enjoyed reading it together. A great introduction to geology.

Beautifully illustrated nonfiction book that goes into the depths of the earths surfaces. Scratching the Surface touches on the main features of the Earth's layered system. This deep dive into simple research that can be a starting point for elementary student to use as a class read aloud, for more individualized independent research, or just an amazing read for kiddos who love nonfiction. This could be a starting point into animal research or the earths habitats on the outer core.
The illustrations are colorful, interesting, kid friendly and appealing for all readers.

Fantastic pick for a children's library! The illustrations are gorgeous and the text is informative without being too detailed. This would be a great introduction to getting younger elementary school readers fascinated by geology. The illustrations also depict diverse children exploring earth's mysteries!

This was excellent!! I homeschool my children and this is one of our current areas of learning. So glad I discovered this book as it’s one of the best I’ve read about this topic (and we have read a lot). Easy to understand, super informative and beautifully illustrated. While non-fiction, it almost reads like you’re being taken on a grand adventure of discovery. A perfect introductory book to what’s beneath our feet. Thanks so much for the ebook!

But that's the great thing about science.
We learn, and we guess, and we try, and we fail, and we try again.
We hope to be right more often than we're wrong.
It's a lot like being human.

- Scratching the Surface, 72.00%

Education and informative to learn about our earth surfaces and beyond.
This book is really good for kids in the early middle grade. My son is 4 years old, so he could only enjoy the illustrations. I tried to read it with the simplified story for him, and I think he understood it. He asked more about diamonds because it was mentioned in this book. I counted it as a win because as long as my son enjoys the book, that means the book is good for him. To be honest, it was me who enjoyed this book more. I missed my science class back in school, and this book made me realize that no matter how old you are, you could always learn.

Thank you to Kate Allen Fox, Capstone Publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was amazing and felt like an episode of The Magic School Bus, both the story and the illustrations which were very engaging. Readers travel underneath the grass and dirt to learn what our planet is made up of. I’ve read several children’s books on this subject, and this one is definitely the best.
The information is incredibly up to date and is shared in a fun and inviting way. I love how the author explains that science and knowledge grows, learns, and changes, just like a child growing up. So what we know today will be different in the future and is different than what was the most up to date knowledge/understanding in the past.

This was a great introduction to the layers of the earth. Sprinkled throughout the book are thought provoking questions that lead to wonderful discussion and add depth to children's learning. The illustrations are great and add interest to the topic. My nine-year old really enjoyed reading this book to herself and sharing with me when she was done. It was easy for her to understand and narrate back to me.

This. Is. An. Instant. Favorite! This book is so beautifully illustrated and a fun way to learn about the Earth’s layers. Although my 3-year-old tends to prefer browsable nonfiction books (and I can’t blame him since it’s also my favorite genre), he absolutely LOVED this picture book.

The book does an excellent job of balancing scientific information with a playful tone. I loved the inclusion of the facts and numbers alongside the engaging narrative. My son lit up when he encountered the extra facts like the Earth's temperature at different depths. It’s a perfect balance that feeds his thirst for these types of facts while keeping him engaged.

This book is a great blend of education and fun, and another great addition to the bookshelf of our Earth-loving kiddo.

Thank you to the author and publisher for a copy of this book for review.

This is perfect! My daughter has recently started her reading journey, so I have added a few books to my ipad mini for her to read on kindle when on the go. This is one of my favorites! It's a great on the go read, and I can easily show her in real life what they are referring to!

Thank you so much to Capstone and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

A very informative book, I didn’t know that much about the earths surfaces or what things scientists have done to uncover information, so it was very fascinating reading the book and learning so much about it. What makes it up, how deep they are and It was very educational.

The illustrations throughout were great to look at, giving you a great idea to what it looked like at its varying layers, what things lay beneath the surfaces I really liked looking at them as I was reading and learning.

This would certainly be a good helpful book for educators, it’s a great science book on our planet, on what is actually below our planet. It also shared how to hold an experiment yourself which is so helpful for young readers. A great science book that will not just educate but also entertain as it’s so fun to look at and read.

I love the illustrations and the way the information is present in a straightforward but fun way. I loved how the concept of the scientific method is shown here as it discusses how we are continually learning new information and what we knew previously may be proven wrong. I also love how it emphasizes just how massive our earth. Very cool to consider.

For those who want to know, evolution is not discussed in the body of the text but is addressed in the author's note at the end.

Thanks to Capstone for the digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This is the kind of book you don't see much of. It's a scientific exploration of the Earth and its parts presented in a beautifully illustrated, fact-filled adventure. Perfect for kids in the K-2 set.

This book was an utter delight to read. It introduces the concepts in a simple and age-appropriate manner, perfect for preschoolers and early elementary grades. My 4 year olds have little to no background in geology, but they loved sitting with me and reading, looking at the pictures until the last page. We have read about the top soil before, but beyond that, getting deeper into the book, we found more details about the crust, the mantle and the core. The snippet about Kola Super Borehole had them excited and they asked me so many questions about it. My son was disappointed when I said they have stopped digging the Borehole at the moment. He was all charged up to resume the digging as soon as he was old enough! The detailed and eye catching illustrations only add to the engagement with little one. They were mesmerized to know that our earth's crust and mantle has minerals and more elements in it. When I mentioned mining those elements, their eyes lit up with curiosity. May be this is our sign to get a book about mining. I also like the the book has a lyrical feel to it when read. The sentences flowed one after the other and it didn't feel like I was reading a drab non-fiction packed with trivia. This had a soothing feel so we could do it at bedtime too! This and more makes the book a good addition to a school library for little ones.