BY Andrea Koehle Jones, GREEN BOOKS BLOG, 9 FEBRUARY, 2021
You are never too young or too small to help make the world a better place. I’ve dug-up three amazing books that teach children about environmental activism and how they can help take care of the planet.
Kate, Who Tamed the Wind
by LIZ GARTON SCANLON and LEE WHITE
“The trees grew, the wind blew, and the time flew…”
Time will fly when you read this darling, lyrical read-aloud about a girl who solves a windy problem with an environmentally friendly solution: planting trees! Who isn’t inspired by a girl like that — smart, sensitive and determined. I love Kate’s plan to tame the wind and I love trees!
“A wild wind blows on the tippy-top of a steep hill, turning everything upside down for the man who lives there. Luckily, Kate comes up with a plan to tame the wind. With an old wheelbarrow full of young trees, she journeys up the steep hill to add a little green to the man’s life, and to protect the house from the howling wind.”
A environmentally powerful picture book about the powerful role trees play in our lives, and learning to care for the world.
Themes explored:
- learning about trees and tree conservation and reforestation
- activism
- compassion and kindness
- volunteerism
????? 5/5?
Follow The Moon Home
A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles
By DEBORAH HOPKINSON, By PHILIPPE COUSTEAU, Illustrated by MEILO SO
“We stood together, smiling and silent with wonder. Then, just like the turtles, we followed the moon home.”
We meet Viv, a teen adjusting to her new home and a new school near the South Carolina coast. Helping baby sea turtles helps her find her way in a new place. Viv shows how teens can work together to inspire their community to help protect nature. Acclaimed activist Philippe Cousteau and renowned author Deborah Hopkinson team up to offer a story of the powerful difference young people can make in the world.
Themes explored:
- learning about sea turtles
- activism
- team work
- volunteerism
????? 5/5?
The Watcher
Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps
By JEANETTE WINTER, Illustrated by JEANETTE WINTER
When children have opportunities to see or learn about wildlife, a whole new world of wonder can open up. They will be inspired by Jane Goodall, the world’s leading primatologist and an all-round environmentalist hero.
Follow Jane from her childhood in London watching a robin on her windowsill, to her years in the African forests of Gombe, Tanzania. Children will learn about patience and dedication as they see how Jane observed chimps over many years, to her worldwide crusade to save these primates who are now in danger of extinction, and their habitat.
Themes explored:
- learning about chimpanzees and the world’s leading primatologist and environmental hero Dr. Jane Goodall
- biodiversity, deforestation, poaching and extinction
- compassion (As a scientist, conservationist, humanitarian and crusader for the ethical treatment of animals, she is a global force for animal compassion and forest conservation)
- activism (she redefines the relationship between humans and animals)
????? 5/5?
All reviews by Andrea Koehle Jones Green Books Blog
Andrea receives review copies from publishers and authors from time to time, with no implied promise that the books will be reviewed favourably or at all.