Viewfinder

A young space traveler lands on Earth on a whim and finds the planet deserted. This is a wordless graphic novel for readers aged 6 to 9, set in a future where the people are gone. Among the ruins she finds a strange device, a viewfinder holding images of how the planet used to look. Through it she can set the Earth of the past beside the abandoned one in front of her, which is still full of wonders. Her wanderings take her to a museum full of clues about what came before, past glowing mushrooms that grow everywhere, into a library that now houses zoo animals, and onto a lovely but crumbling space station that she has to flee in a daring escape. As she explores, signs appear that someone else may still be around. A time capsule, a friendly cat and a homemade railcar deepen the mystery of whether she is really alone. The richly detailed artwork tells the story without words, and a gentle theme of caring for the planet runs through it. It is meant to leave readers with a fresh sense of wonder about Earth, which makes it a fitting choice for Earth Day, and it will appeal to fans of Shaun Tan.