Earth and Sky Every Child Should Know

Book Excerpt: ...t is very thin and unstable. The further back in time we go, the thinner was the crust, the more frequent the outbursts of volcanic activity, the more readily did wrinkles form. The shores of New Jersey and of Greenland are gradually sinking, and the sea coming up over the land. Certain parts of the world are gradually rising out of the sea. In earlier times the rising or the sinking of land over large areas happened much more frequently than now. WHAT IS THE EARTH MADE OF?"Baking day" is a great institution in the comfortable farm life of the American people. The big range oven is not allowed to grow cold until rows of pies adorn the pantry shelves, and cakes, tarts, and generous loaves of bread are added to the store. Cookies, perhaps, and a big pan full of crisp, brown doughnuts often crown the day's work. No gallery of art treasures will ever charm the grown-up boys and girls as those pantry shelves charmed the bright-eyed, hungry children, who were allowed to survey the treasur...