It's Official: EARTH DAY 2021: Looking Back To Move Ahead

 This EARTH WEEK I have featured two or more picture books for several days running. Now it is officially EARTH DAY. One of the reasons I chose to continue to live here in Wisconsin after graduating and beginning my career is the long history and then contemporary respect for nature and the environment. Wisconsin's own ALDO LEOPOLD was a leader of the modern environmental conservation movement in the early twentieth century. In 1970, Wisconsin's longtime Senator, Gaylord Nelson, was the activist leader of the first EARTH DAY. It was easy to love a state that offered a wide range of natural beauty but also produced leaders and defenders of wild places and wildlife. 

Earth Day, Earth Week, and other conservation/restoration activities play a crucial role in bringing to our attention the damages done by humans and the ways in which each of us humans have a role to play in restoring balance and guard rails to nature's resources.

Picture books can support that role. ALL YERA LONG! That's why I've shared two or more picture books on these themes every day this week, a much more frequent schedule than I usually follow. And it is why I review and recommend inspiring and informative books with environmental themes all throughout the months and years. 

So today, the actual fiftieth anniversary of the original EARTH DAY, I will link back to a few of the many books that are favorites I featured on this topic. Recently I made that point about sustaining awareness and action when reviewing WELCOME HOME, WHALES by Christina Booth.

If you missed it, I hope you'll click and read what I thought about it HERE.

Then consider the remarkable ways in which Earth's lifeforms make phenomenal adaptations in order to survive what Nature, and our human abuse of Nature, can do to the habitats, food chains, climates, and other essentials of their survival.

One such story is told in MOTH: AN EVOLUTION STORY, written by Isabel Thomas and gloriously illustrated by Daniel Egneus.

In that same post I examined SEA BEAR: A JOURNEY FOR SURVIVAL, written and illustrated by Lindsay Moore. This pair of books are both award-winning and heartbreaking. Nonfiction content is revealed with grace in text and glory in illustration. Do yourself a favor and check out the post HERE. 

Though there are many other books related to these topics among years of reviews here, I'll include just one more post that celebrates the simple wisdom and beauty of a rock. A STONE SAT STILL is written and illustrated by the brilliant Brendan Wenzel. Here's part of what i said about it in that original post:

Each phrase, each panel, each perspective elicits engagement, draws me into the moment portrayed. 

Is this:

 a quiet book, a reflective book, a bedtime book, a nature book, a calming book? 

Yes, to all of those.

The magic of Wenzel's creation, in my opinion, is that this book is also:

an environmental book,

a climate change book,

an endangered species book, 

a science book,

a habitat book, 

a food chain book,

a call-to-action book.

In that same post I featured a classic favorite picture book, EVERYBODY NEEDS A ROCK, by the multi-award-winning pair, author Byrd Baylor and illustrator Peter Parnell. My final sentence in that post is this:

Empowering books can empower lives- and maybe even change our world for the better.

I hope you'll take a look at one or more of these amazing picture books, share them with young readers, and  encourage active protection of our EARTH on every day of the year. Environmental awareness and activism can't be a one day, one week, one state effort. We are all in the same boat. Here's my EARTH DAY gift to you, a YOUTUBE link to the truth-telling song, BLUE BOAT HOME written by Peter Mayer, in a video created by Scott McNeill

Click. Watch. Listen, Reflect.

BLUE BOAT HOME    

The damage we humans have done to our planet is immeasurable, and heartbreaking in the extreme. That is true when we consider climate change and its impact on life forms of all kinds, including on us humans. But some damage is very particular and has very specific effects.

Equally powerful, though, are stories of very specific and empowered efforts to change the immediate spaces in which we live. This can happen when someone observes carefully, listens to the wisdom of others, recognizes problems, and seeks a solution. Here is a bouquet of books that celebrate such efforts.

Mineditions 2021

ONE BOY'S CHOICE: A Tale of the Amazon is written by Sueli Menezes and illustrated by Anika Siems. This picture book is a rich cultural resource for young learners, especially in the English-speaking western culture. Lush illustrations draw readers into the loving relationship between a boy and his grandfather, sharing a universal experience of seeking peer esteem while treasuring the multi-generational wisdom and closeness they share. The stages of worry, disappointment, excitement, then facing the challenging decision that serves the greater good or his own social status are universal, although set in engaging specificity involving an unusual Amazon species of fish. 

This is a gorgeous book in theme, illustration, and gently direct text. 
It was named a 2020 NCSS (SocialStudies.org) Notable Book for Young Readers.

Kids Can Press. Citizen Kid, 2020

Next up is 111 TREES: How One Village Celebrates the Birth of Every Girl, written by Rina Singh and illustrated by Marianne Ferrer. This is the true story of one man's insight, integrity, and love of his children and community led him to national acclaim for the transformative power of planting trees and valuing girls. There are so many significant cultural details within this story, and each one merits exploration and discussion. 
The book is well-written and illustrated with lush and illuminating detail. 
I'm counting on this title to make its way into several award categories, including recommended books for teachers of social studies and science/environmental studies. It has been praised by multiple review outlets, and requested by kids, which is the best review of all.

Tiger Tales, 2020

And last for today, but by no means finally, is LITTLE TURTLE AND THE CHANGING SEA: A Story of Survival in Our Polluted Oceans, written by Becky Davies and illustrated by Jennie Poh. This is a recent addition to an emerging collection of environmentally-themed fictional picture books. It adopts the point of view of a baby sea turtle growing into its long life that spans our one global ocean. 

Without referencing directly the decades of passing time, the colorful and biodiverse ocean she (sea turtle) traverses annually becomes dreary, polluted, gray, and dangerous. Human plastic pollution caused this, and humans finally appear to rescue sea turtle from torn netting, just in time. Then they proceed to work at restoring their tiny corner of the ocean by removing plastic and other litter. 

The seemingly happy ending is clearly not that, as back matter indicates the proliferation of human plastic and other waste, with specific suggestions that are practical and kid-friendly. There are so many questions raised in this appealing but appalling story. Some are answered, but an unmistakable invitation is issued to young readers to learn more, to care more, to act.

That will do it for the moment, but just as EARTH WEEK is only one small first step in an ongoing effort to undo our damage, so too are these books just a first step in inspiring and motivating readers of any age to make a positive difference in saving our planet and all of its dwellers.

EARTH WEEK Picture Books: Two OCEAN SOUP Titles

 I'm pushing forward to feature two or more outstanding picture books daily during EARTH WEEK. That's an ambitious pace for me, but the theme is very time-sensitive and urgent.  I launched this effort in yesterday's post about two titles by a creative pair, the Pumphrey brothers. I urge you to check our their books and their illustration process in that post, HERE.  

For today's post there are two books with the same main title, which may sound surprising but is actually fairly common. BOTH are titles OCEAN SOUP, and both have helpful subtitles that clarify their content. BOTH are worthy of notice during this week of appreciating and protecting our planet. The first is OCEAN SOUP: TIDE POOL POEMS, written by Stephen R. Swinburne and illustrated by Mary Peterson.

CHARLEBRIDGE, 2010

 

For today's post there are two books with the same main title, which may sound surprising but is actually fairly common. BOTH are titled OCEAN SOUP, and both have helpful subtitles that clarify their content. BOTH are worthy of notice during this week of appreciating and protecting our planet, and BOTH deserve our attention all year long. The first is OCEAN SOUP: TIDE POOL POEMS, written by Stephen R. Swinburne and illustrated by Mary Peterson.

Swinburne is a reliable rhymer with a cheeky tone that resonates with kids. He is also a talented photographer whose photos have been featured in many of his other books. In this case, he could certainly have produced jaw-dropping images, but the colorful and slightly cartoonish art invites engagement across a wide age range, and also allows for focus on key features of various animals without exaggeration or fantasy fudging the facts.

This is the older of the the two titles, but the poems are timeless and the topic of tide pool inhabitants is rarely explored in such accessible format and form.  parallel text content appears on each brilliantly illustrated double page spread. In each case Swinburne has written a brief but dense poem that directly informs readers of a tide pool inhabitant's patterns or habits or other distinctive traits. The voice and perspectives vary, always in first person perspective but ranging from cheeky to sensitive to comical. ON the same page a brief informational passage provides biological and environmental content related to that species and its place in the ecology of tide pools. For those who live in or near a tide pool habitat, this will be a fun and familiar extension of what is already known. For the MANY who live nowhere near an ocean tidepool, this is an invaluable introduction to the ways in which habitats can be ephemeral and yet essential to the cycles of sea life and food chains. From plankton to lobster to octopus, the range of creatures and their distinctively unique lives invite further investigation. A few pages of back matter include glossary, author note, and resources that include print and links to reliable sources.

SLEEPING BEAR PRESS, 2021

The second title is OCEAN SOUP: A Recipe For You, Me, and a Cleaner Sea. It is written by Meeg Pincus and illustrated by Lucy Semple. In rhymed narrative verse the reader is introduced to the idea that the pollution of our oceans (waters in general) are a "soup" of generations of contamination, mainly by plastics. 

Young readers can readily envision plastic bags, bottles, straws, and other discarded items can and do endanger ocean dwellers as well as making the waters seriously unappealing and damaged. In fact, during Earth week AND BEYOND it is a valuable exercise to engage kids in beach and water and field and urban space clean-up campaigns. 

What this book points out clearly, though, is that there is no real AWAY when it comes to plastic. Bury it, it stays. In ocean gyres it breaks down into micro-plastics that make their way into all  lifeforms, including us. I recently read that it is estimated most of us (in developed countries) consume the amount of plastic in a credit card, WEEKLY! To combat the endless increases in this relentless contamination of the waters of our lives, specific steps that humans can take are suggested. These include ones that are possible for the very young. This is mentioned within the narrative text, and described in simple but specific suggestions in the back matter. It is an eye-opening read for kids and adults, with practical advice and encouragement to learn more and act soon and steadily to reshape our communities and protect out planet.

For older readers seeking more detailed content on this topic, presented with clarity and accessible science, check out PLASTICUS MARITUMUS: AN INVASIVE SPECIES, reviewed by me HERE. 

As I so often mention in writing about picture books of any kind, for any age. My hope for the future is in the youth of today, but leaving it all to them is both unfair and unconscionable. My hope is that by sharing these books we may mobilize several generations of activists in defense of our planet. 

Stay tuned, more imporant titles coming sooner than usual!

PERSEVERANCE Inspires! And so does EMMA!

I hope that you were able to watch the landing of the NASA MARS rover, PERSEVERANCE. Live, or on replay, it was a thrilling experience. Even masked and socially distanced cheering from the ground control crew made their exuberance obvious. Watching them celebrate took me right back to my childhood viewing, on grainy black-and-white screens, while a team of exclusively white males LOST THEIR MINDS in jubilation as rockets fired successfully, or a capsule's parachute released on time. Those cheers were especially thrilling when the hatch of a capsule, bobbing in the ocean, was opened and astronauts safely emerged, waving gloved hands to the cameras.

At that time, the primitive technology and pioneering explorations were so extraordinary that the danger should have magnified our reactions. In fact, the current teams seem every bit as thrilled  and relieved as those early exploration events. What thrilled me just as much as their success was the contrast between the all-white-male team during the sixties and the visibility of women and non-White professionals among current celebrating teams. That representation matters, even if proportions lag population ratios. 

I have been checking in with NASA/Perseverance updates daily, because viewing the activities of Perseverance is more reliably smile-generating than anything I can think of from this past year. YouTube has short recorded clips of the actual landing, not just simulations, and I urge you to take a look, HERE, NOW. 

But what does all this have to do with picture books? Well, smiles and inspiration are good places to start. EMMA ON MARS is written by Billy Dunne and illustrated by Vanessa Port. It's a  charming little picture book in which young Emma is FURIOUS when she learns that our planet Earth is being mistreated by humans, including her own parents.When their response to her concern disappoints, Emma launches her attempt to relocate on Mars. Her age-appropriate efforts involve significant science information, word play, imaginary exploration and analysis, and crafty projects before a  touch of homesickness shifts her focus to her home planet.

MAVERICK  ARTS PUBLISHING, 2021

Emma's awareness of the remarkable planet on which she/we live launches both commitment and action to organize, plan, plant, protect, and preserve in every way she can. Those efforts inspire her parents to snap out of their routines and support Emma's Earth-friendly energy.

This bright and ambitious girl in a contemporary, mixed family expands a lively and light-hearted story into something special. Emma's personality, curiosity, initiative, and empowerment combine with early science concepts to launch young readers into investigations and study that could eventually land them in NASA and private control rooms, or on board  future "manned" spaceships with people who fully reflect our Human race. 

We can add to that enthusiasm and curiosity by sharing  NASA feeds from PERSEVERANCE with kids. Many decades after my own childhood I still retain vivid images of moments of space exploration. The power of bringing science to life on the screen for kids today can shape a lifetime.  HERE'S a link to an early 360-degree camera pan of the Mars surface as taken by the main camera on the rover. By the way, one of the main operators and analysts of that camera is a woman!

***  THIS JUST IN  ***   THIS JUST IN **** THIS JUST IN  ***

(That was fun!)

On the very day this post went live, an article appeared in National Geographic to announce that the private space agency, SPACE-X, will include in its orbital crew a young woman whose left leg incorporates metal rod bone prosthetics, following successful treatment of childhood cancer. What a great reminder that only barriers that are insurmountable are ones we set for ourselves.

If you can dream it, you can do it!

Read the article HERE.