Published Work
Available wherever books are sold
-
- Title: A Gift of Dust: How Saharan Plumes Feed the Planet
- Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Release Date: May 27, 2025
- Author: Martha Brockenbrough
- Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal
- Age Level: 4-8, 40 pages
- ISBN: 978-0-593-42842-9
From two award-winning creators comes a picture book that reveals the hidden wonders of how Saharan Dust impacts the world: from slowing a hurricane to nourishing a rainforest.
This dust . . .
of what lived once
sustains what lives today
and what will be born . . .
tomorrow.
An ancient catfish becomes a fossil, and as the lake where it lived dries up, the fossil turns to dust–but this isn’t ordinary dust. This dust begins in Chad, West Africa, but winds carry it across the continent, over the Atlantic ocean, to nourish and replenish the Amazon rain forest and beyond.
A Gift of Dust takes readers on a journey that shows just how interconnected our planet is, and how something so small can have such a huge impact. With lyrical, awe-inspiring verse based in fact, and stunning art from a Caldecott honoree, this is a story for our times.
★ ALSC Notable Children’s Books 2026
★ 2026 Washington State Book Award Finalist
★ 2026 Capitol Choices New and Noteworthy Books for Kids & Teens
★ 2025 Blueberry Award
★ SLJ Best Books of 2025
★ 2025 Society of Illustrators Original Art Selection
- Publishers Weekly – Earth Day 2025: Q&A with Picturebook Authors
- The Horn Book – Publisher’s Preview: Spring 2025: Five Questions for Martha Brockenbrough and Juana Martinez-Neal
- The Virginia Pilot – 4 Kids books explore the power and fragility of our home
- SLJ Fuse 8 – 2026 Newbery/Caldecott Fall Prediction Edition
- The Horn Book – Calling Caldecott – A Gift of Dust
- The Horn Book – Where Mother Nature and Human Nature Meet
- Reading Rockets – Holiday Buying Guide 2025
- Fuse 8 – 31 Days, 31 Lists: 2025 Nonfiction Picture Books
- ALSC Notable Children’s Books 2026
- The 2026 Capitol News New and Noteworthy Books for Kids & Teens
- Library of Congress Center for the Book Washington – 2026 Washington State Book Award Finalists Announced!
★ (…) A beautiful blend of text and drawings shows the cycle of life through dust (…) masterly marriage of narrative and illustration, this outstanding exploration of a natural phenomenon is a very strong first buy. —Starred review
The Horn Book:
★ Light, airy illustrations dotted with golden specks float across the pages, lending a near-magical atmosphere to a story that starts with a mother-to-be in a child’s nursery and then travels through space and time, providing clear and fascinating scientific explanations of Saharan dust along the way. —Starred review
Caldecott honoree Martinez-Neal’s art is a showstopper (…) Her mixed-media illustrations on hand-textured paper command attention (…) A natural wonder, brought to vivid life.
Dotted with playful notes (…), the lines underscore themes of atmospheric connection (…) Via impressionistic images, Martinez-Neal represents dust as small, sand-like particles that drift and dance, casting golden mist across the spreads.
Booklist:
(…) this illuminating picture book showcasing an unusual phenomenon and emphasizing the interconnectedness of our planet. (…) Martinez-Neal’s watercolor artwork is full of swirling golden splatters and speckles across each scene, which emphasizes the ubiquity of the dust and the importance of the process.
