More than words; some notes on art design in earth science children’s books

While most individuals pursuing academic careers in scientific research focus on publishing in disciplinary journals, which are often inaccessible to the general public, the importance of engaging the broader public is becoming increasingly evident. Making academic knowledge and research-based information available to everyone is crucial, for example, for raising awareness of scientific topics and encouraging science-oriented thinking and decision-making. In recent years, we have been promoting various earth science topics to the public through a range of media, including video, popular articles, and children's books. A key aspect of these efforts is presenting complex ideas using simple text and artistic expressions that are suitable for engaging the public and effectively communicating scientific concepts. Here we highlight insights into promoting scientific knowledge to the public through illustrated children's books, designed to convey “big” and “complicated” scientific terms in a way that is accessible to diverse audiences, by carefully considering how text and illustrations complement each other. Examples of how scientific concepts and terminology can be simplified using straightforward language and illustrations will be presented as well, depicting how self-made art and professional illustrations can be used in children's books depicting earth science. Recommendations for collaborating with artists, will also be discussed, highlighting some of the dos and some of the don’ts.