Earth is the place where we live: it's full of wonderful creatures, depths and heights. Then there are people, who have bodies, which are pretty amazing things. People act, look and sound different. There are lots of different animals, too, and there's still so much to do. The most important thing is to be kind, and know that there's enough for everyone: on Earth, you can never be alone.

Written as a manual to life on Earth from new dad Oliver Jeffers to his baby son, this simple, life-affirming picture book is both an overview of Earth and a guide to living well: concepts of kindness, tolerance and environmental responsibility flow seamlessly into the sparse but perfectly judged text.

As you'd expect from Oliver Jeffers, the illustrations are detailed, original and inventive, showcasing the beautiful diversity of Earth, but also curating a mood of safety, curiosity and wonder.

The final page brings the scale of our lives in the huge universe back to the immediacy of a dad holding his baby. It's a perfect end to a perfect book, reminding us that the most important thing for children to know about life on Earth is that they are loved.