Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai (Frances Foster Books)

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai (Frances Foster Books) | Claire A. Nivola | Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children

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Planting the Trees...

	Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai (Frances Foster Books) Claire A. Nivola Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2008 - 32 pages average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the Green Belt Movement, grew up in the highlands of Kenya, where fig trees cloaked the hills, fish filled the streams, and the people tended their bountiful gardens. But over many years, as more and more land was cleared, Kenya was transformed. When Wangari returned home from college in America, she found the village gardens dry, the people malnourished, and the trees gone. How could she alone bring back the trees and restore the gardens and the people?

Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature, says: ?Wangari Maathai?s epic story has never been told better?everyone who reads this book will want to plant a tree!?

With glowing watercolor illustrations and lyrical prose, Claire Nivola tells the remarkable story of one woman?s effort to change the fate of her land by teaching many to care for it. An author?s note provides further information about Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement. In keeping with the theme of the story, the book is printed on recycled paper.

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Planting the Trees of Kenya

Nivola, Claire A. Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2008.

This beautiful story of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya launched by Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai details how she grew up appreciating nature and its bounty, attended college in America and studied biology, and then returned to her homeland only to find that new farming practices threatened the health and well-being of her fellow citizens. Although, the people were understandably inclined to blame the government for their deteriorating situation, Wangari encouraged the women to instead plant trees: to gather seeds, dig for water, and nurture seedlings. "All this was heavy work, but the women felt proud. Slowly, all around them, they could begin to see the fruit of the work of their hands. The woods were growing up again." Wangari "taught the children how to make their own nurseries. She gave seedling to inmates of prisons and even to soldiers." Since Wangari began in 1977, over "thirty million trees have been planted in Kenya" - an impressive feat. Lovely watercolor paintings illustrate this simple inspiring story: village scenes show women and children listening to Wangari explain her proposal, and an awesome double-spread shows a line of people marching in an endless line, carrying seedlings and tools for planting. This wonderful picture book evocatively spreads an important environmental message

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Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children

As a child growing up on a farm in Kenya's Central Highlands, Wangari Maathai delighted in the beauty of the fig, olive, and flame trees that graced the landscape, and she valued the clear water of the stream that flowed near her home. Sadly, these conditions changed for the worse in just a very short time while Wangari attended college in the United States. Distressed to return home to deforestation, soil erosion, dirty water, and a worsening in people's well-being, Wangari resolved to become a part of the solution. Her simple but powerful idea to start planting trees grew into a national movement that ultimately led to over forty million new trees planted in Kenya. Wangari's activist efforts included educating women, men, and children about why it was so important to their livelihood to plant tree seedlings. In 2004 she won the Nobel Peace Prize, the first African woman to receive this honor.

Children and adults alike will appreciate this book for its powerful message, rich illustrations, and informative author's note. Numerous economics ideas are woven into the text, with particular emphasis on the consequences of scarcity, the replenishment of natural resources, and the strengthening of women's autonomy. Despite the weighty topic, the tone is gentle. Children will unwittingly gain an important lesson in environmental activism while they enjoy an interesting story.

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Opening the minds of students

Planting the trees of Kenya is a keeper for all teachers k-12. every year we can remind our studnets of their value in this world by reading this book. science teachers could really take off in this book getting students to realize not only their part in a "global" world but what they can imagine for their small part of it. reading, social studies, world studies, economics classes could utilize this book all the way through high school. resources are listed. young girls and young women can see that there are unlimited callings and that they can make a difference, but this book is not just for girls it is a story that can inspire both young men and women. when i read this to my 7th graders one student asked, "How she do that?" good start for an essay or reseach paper, don't you think?????
acott
west virginia

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Heartwarming, Touching, A MUST have

In teaching my children to be good citizens of the earth I seek out books to help me instill these values. This is a book I will treasure always, and I know my children will too. It is an amazing story of a woman who has an idea and the belief that she can change her small part of the world after many years have changed the village she once knew. Not only is this a great book from that perspective, but it encourages the principles of environmental stewardship. Plant a tree! We can change the world!

Have purchased 3 copies

This is one of the most wonderful picture books this year. It reminds us that we are all capable of recognizing problems and making significant positive changes by taking individual action, and it tells the story of an incredible, real life African role model. The artwork is detailed and captivating.

I've given this book as a gift to three children so far this year and plan to keep gifting it!

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reviews: page 1, 2

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