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Our Earth: How Kids Are Saving the Planet
Ten profiles of young environmental activists – each child is captured in a portrait, their achievements described, and filled out with photos. Ends with tips for kids to make a difference.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 1, 2020
Informative and inspiring, this picture-book profiles ten children, worldwide, who have made a difference, working to solve some of the earth's most pressing environmental ills. From fourteen-year-old Malawian William Kamkwamba (whose story is told more fully in
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope
), who constructed windmills in order to create the energy needed to irrigate his poverty-stricken village's fields, to seven-year-old Canadian Ryan Hreljac, who, upon learning that so many children in the developing world didn't have clean drinking water, began raising money for a well in Uganda, eventually founding the Ryan's Well Foundation, which has helped build over 600 water and sanitation projects in 16 countries, the stories here emphasize the many ways in which human welfare is directly tied to environmental issues.
Here is the story of Janine Licare, a thirteen-year-old Costa Rican girl who got involved in rain-forest conservation, founding Kids Saving the Rainforest to further her efforts; Adeline Tiffanie Suwana, a twelve-year-old Indonesian girl who, having seen the devastation wrought by the terrible 2001 tsunami, became interested in marine ecosystems and conservation, and founded Sahabat Alam ("Friends of Nature"), which works to help rebuild the threatened coral reefs and mangrove swamps of the world; and Felix Finkbeiner, an eleven-year-old German boy who, inspired by the example of Kenya's Wangari Maathai, launched an effort to get the children of his nation to plant one million trees, eventually going on to found the international children's organization, Plant for the Planet, which promotes such activism the world over.
Thirteen-year-old (professional) Indian magician, Kruti Parekh, who uses her show to promote environmental causes; seventeen-year-old Chinese activist Fang Minghe, who founded Green Eyes China, and monitors local markets for the abuse and sale of endangered species; fifteen-year-old American student Sam Levin, who started a student-run organic garden at his school, that now supplies the cafeteria with produce (with 1,000 pounds extra, donated to needy families); and twelve-year-old Canadian, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, who delivered a moving speech to an environmental conference in Rio de Janeiro, are all also profiled here. Rounding out the ten is twelve-year-old Aika Tsubota, who used a school assignment as an opportunity to write and illustrate an environmental comic book, which was published shortly after her tragic death.
Combining photographs and painted illustrations with informative text, each two-page spread in Our Earth: How Kids Are Saving the Planet is an inviting exploration of one extraordinary young person, and their fight to save the environment. Young readers will find these stories immensely inspiring - I know I did!
Here is the story of Janine Licare, a thirteen-year-old Costa Rican girl who got involved in rain-forest conservation, founding Kids Saving the Rainforest to further her efforts; Adeline Tiffanie Suwana, a twelve-year-old Indonesian girl who, having seen the devastation wrought by the terrible 2001 tsunami, became interested in marine ecosystems and conservation, and founded Sahabat Alam ("Friends of Nature"), which works to help rebuild the threatened coral reefs and mangrove swamps of the world; and Felix Finkbeiner, an eleven-year-old German boy who, inspired by the example of Kenya's Wangari Maathai, launched an effort to get the children of his nation to plant one million trees, eventually going on to found the international children's organization, Plant for the Planet, which promotes such activism the world over.
Thirteen-year-old (professional) Indian magician, Kruti Parekh, who uses her show to promote environmental causes; seventeen-year-old Chinese activist Fang Minghe, who founded Green Eyes China, and monitors local markets for the abuse and sale of endangered species; fifteen-year-old American student Sam Levin, who started a student-run organic garden at his school, that now supplies the cafeteria with produce (with 1,000 pounds extra, donated to needy families); and twelve-year-old Canadian, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, who delivered a moving speech to an environmental conference in Rio de Janeiro, are all also profiled here. Rounding out the ten is twelve-year-old Aika Tsubota, who used a school assignment as an opportunity to write and illustrate an environmental comic book, which was published shortly after her tragic death.
Combining photographs and painted illustrations with informative text, each two-page spread in Our Earth: How Kids Are Saving the Planet is an inviting exploration of one extraordinary young person, and their fight to save the environment. Young readers will find these stories immensely inspiring - I know I did!
December 9, 2010
Janet Wilson portrays ten youths from around the world who have taken action to do something for our Earth, whether it's saving the rainforest, building wells in Africa, or starting an organic school vegetable garden. This colorful book begins with the African proverb:
If many little people,
in many little places,
do many little things,
they can change
the face of the Earth.
How empowering for our children!
Each page spread is dedicated to a child environmentalist, containing beautiful illustrations, photos, and Website links. It's a visually stimulating book that ends with further examples of what other kids have created and how we can help save the planet such as getting unplugged or giving your school an e-report card.
My children were impressed with the things these kids from 7 to 17 years of age accomplished. They were also taken aback with the problems we are currently facing with climate change, pollution, endangered species, poverty, deforestation, and global warming. It has raised awareness in them and myself too, and it makes us think twice about some choices we make and how we can be more conscientious.
Not long after reading the book, as I was driving on the highway, my 6 year-old son pointed to the black smoke spewing from the factories and said, “Mom, look at all that pollution!” He was suddenly seeing the implication of something he hadn't noticed or been aware of before we read this book. During our reading, my children and I discussed how precious the gift of the Earth, our home, is for us and what we can do to show God our appreciation of it.
This is an inspiring book for children and an excellent gift for the active child who loves to get involved and bring about positive changes to the world.
This book is printed on paper from responsible sources (FSC).
If many little people,
in many little places,
do many little things,
they can change
the face of the Earth.
How empowering for our children!
Each page spread is dedicated to a child environmentalist, containing beautiful illustrations, photos, and Website links. It's a visually stimulating book that ends with further examples of what other kids have created and how we can help save the planet such as getting unplugged or giving your school an e-report card.
My children were impressed with the things these kids from 7 to 17 years of age accomplished. They were also taken aback with the problems we are currently facing with climate change, pollution, endangered species, poverty, deforestation, and global warming. It has raised awareness in them and myself too, and it makes us think twice about some choices we make and how we can be more conscientious.
Not long after reading the book, as I was driving on the highway, my 6 year-old son pointed to the black smoke spewing from the factories and said, “Mom, look at all that pollution!” He was suddenly seeing the implication of something he hadn't noticed or been aware of before we read this book. During our reading, my children and I discussed how precious the gift of the Earth, our home, is for us and what we can do to show God our appreciation of it.
This is an inspiring book for children and an excellent gift for the active child who loves to get involved and bring about positive changes to the world.
This book is printed on paper from responsible sources (FSC).
June 1, 2011
This book will be a wonderful choice for your humane/environmental education curriculum.
Young people from all over the world are profiled, along with their various initiatives to help clean up the environment.
Diet issues are included too—hooray! Although most environmental literature refuses to “go there”, Our Earth explains the tremendous amount of resources wasted by intensive animal agriculture. 15-year-old community food activist Sam Levin is quoted: “If you eat meat, eat less of it.” Thank goodness this message is finally making its way into mainstream media. Also profiled is 17-year-old Fang Minghe, who prowls food markets in China with a video camera to root out vendors illegally selling wild animals as “bushmeat.” A small section mentioned how 8-year-old Ashley Biden convinced her then-Senator father to introduce laws against the killing of dolphins in tuna nets.
Young people from all over the world are profiled, along with their various initiatives to help clean up the environment.
Diet issues are included too—hooray! Although most environmental literature refuses to “go there”, Our Earth explains the tremendous amount of resources wasted by intensive animal agriculture. 15-year-old community food activist Sam Levin is quoted: “If you eat meat, eat less of it.” Thank goodness this message is finally making its way into mainstream media. Also profiled is 17-year-old Fang Minghe, who prowls food markets in China with a video camera to root out vendors illegally selling wild animals as “bushmeat.” A small section mentioned how 8-year-old Ashley Biden convinced her then-Senator father to introduce laws against the killing of dolphins in tuna nets.
May 24, 2013
This is a collection of stories featuring 10 children, ages 7 to 17, who are doing amazing things to save the earth. The youths live in every part of the world. Wilson says that nearly half the earth’s population is young. Many are compassionate, creative and share a love of nature.
This is an exciting book for Earth Day, April 22! I have watched children activists grow in numbers worldwide for years. Janet Wilson has written a very empowering book about young people who have a strong desire to create a healthier world. Each two-page spread includes a portrait of each child by Wilson, photographs of their work, quotes and information about their projects. In the opening of Our Earth, Wilson shares a version of a traditional Aboriginal story about the Rainbow Warriors, “children who have a strong love of nature and a desire to find ways to be part of the solution.“ “They are our Rainbow Warriors. ”
This is an exciting book for Earth Day, April 22! I have watched children activists grow in numbers worldwide for years. Janet Wilson has written a very empowering book about young people who have a strong desire to create a healthier world. Each two-page spread includes a portrait of each child by Wilson, photographs of their work, quotes and information about their projects. In the opening of Our Earth, Wilson shares a version of a traditional Aboriginal story about the Rainbow Warriors, “children who have a strong love of nature and a desire to find ways to be part of the solution.“ “They are our Rainbow Warriors. ”
September 6, 2012
A picture book that features real kids who did big things to help the earth. My 9 year old son was super-inspired by this book and that alone gives it a 5 star rating for me. As he said, "Maybe other people can get ideas and the ideas will spread." :)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews