There can be no more arguing about the extent of human-caused damage that has been done to our planet, to its resources, and to its life forms. Even those who actively debate what caused what, there is no defense against facts. Human population and development have encroached on, disrupted, and even destroyed the original and necessary habitats of creatures great and small. In that sense, while working on longterm reversals and altered approaches to global changes in sharing our planet safely, some local changes are immediately possible, if only we'd recognize and act on our power to mitigate the damage we've done.
One of the many outstanding elementary/middle school nonfiction nominees for a CYBILS AWARD is COUGAR CROSSING: How Hollywood's Celebrity Cougar Helped Build a Bridge for City Wildlife . Written by Meeg Pincus and illustrated by Alexander Vidal, this picture book is the account of P-22, the famed “Hollywood Cougar,” was born in a national park near Los Angeles, California. When the time came for him to leave home and establish own territory, instincts prove him to—somehow--safely cross sixteen lanes of the world’s worst traffic. This narrative explains some of the ways his natural behavior patterns allowed him to make his home in LA’s Griffith Park, overlooking the famed Hollywood sign. Griffith Park is busy and sizable space for urban dwellers, but a tiny territory for a mountain lion. Learn more about four-footed celebrity HERE. 
Beach Lane Books, 2021
There is power in this true account of the interface of nature and human encroachment on habitats, resources, and species behaviors. While there is hope and celebration in many aspects of this account (empathetic and well-trained specialists, supportive communities that commit to potential solutions), I found myself saddened by the overall picture of what mankind has so mindlessly done to nature. Consider this: the need for, debate points, and metrics of success involve the annual count of road kill of these remarkable creatures. Young readers will certainly sense the imbalance and injustice of the circumstances described, but are likely to be inspired to make more mindful choices and seek improvements for the future.
Beach Lane Books, 2020
This account of an individual situation and creature should surely be paired with a picture book published the year before, also from Beach Lane Books. CROSSINGS: Extraordinary Structures for Extraordinary Animals is written by Katie S. Duffield and illustrated by Mike Orodan. This oversized and evocatively illustrated book uses the repeating refrain, "Over, under, across, through" to launch passages that first describe the ways human technology, engineering, and expansion have extended our sprawl throughout nature.
Next lines begin with... "What happens..." to the animals and their potential for survival. Will the physical structures, vehicles, and power services kill them directly? Will the lack of habitat and access to safe movement destroy countless centuries of instincts and behavioral drives?
What follows those challenging scenes is an appreciative look at human efforts to transform our capacity for construction and innovations to create movement options for creatures-- over, under, across, and through-- barriers and dangers. Examples include animals as small as baby turtles to those as large as elk and elephants. With global examples that allow safe travel through treetops, under tunnels, and across multi-lane highways, readers encounter "living proof that opening our minds and hearts can make all the difference." Small information inserts on expansive and colorful pages enhance factual content, with each illustrated spread briefly identified for location and purpose in the final two pages.
I hope you'll give each of these (better yet, both together!) a close look, some deep reflection, and share them with kids of any age. The art and narratives are accessible for even the youngest, and perhaps they hold the greater promise for a better planet in the future-- for every life form.
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