By Jeanette Winter
Published September 21, 2008
Why we chose this book:
The local botanic garden had this book on display and we started to read it before T's garden discovery program, but did not have time to finish it. I came across it again in a list of upcoming publications from Harcourt (it is being released in paperback in July), and I requested a review copy.
Mom's Review
A powerful true story about the impact one person can have on the environment.
Wangari leaves Kenya to study in America. She returns to find the trees in her village cut down. Not only locally, but all over Kenya are trees being removed to make way for urban development. Wangari sees the harm this does her neighbors and the harm for the environment. She begins planting trees in her backyard and encourages other women to do so. The reader sees that Wangari is discouraged and even beaten by government officials and the police, but that she has inspired women all over Kenya to take action. In the end, readers see Wangari atop Mount Kenya, surrounded by a valley of trees.
This is a beautiful book with a positive message. It was also a difficult read. T and I talked a lot about why someone would cut down trees, how we use our resources but also ensure that we don't use them up. He is still asking questions about cutting down trees. We talked even more about Wangari being beaten. T didn't understand why police would beat her. It was a hard conversation explaining that sometimes policemen make wrong choices. It was actually a series of conversations spread out over the week after our first reading. He asked me and his dad point blank in the car one day, "But police in our country don't beat people, right?" And we explained that, yes, they do sometimes, that in every group of people there are people who make right and wrong choices. How can you best explain police brutality to a toddler with an all-or-nothing view of the world?
Even with — strike that — because of the difficult conversations that this book prompted, along with the bold art and the powerful message, I would encourage pretty much anyone to read this. Also, T asks for this a ton. So much so that his dad and I have to ask if we could please read something different for a change.
Son's Review
(age 3)
Mom: What if you went away from your home and came back and all the plants were gone. What would you do?
Son: I...I would plant more plants and even more plants and even more plants and even more plants. And then I would cut down the buildings because I was planting lots of plants.
Mom: Do you know how to take care of a plant? What does it need?
Son: Yeah. Water. Sun.
Mom: Wangari said, "We need a park more than we need an office tower." What do you like better? ... What do you like at parks?
Son: A park...Enclosed swings. I just like swings.
Mom, pointing to image of Wangari being hit: What happened here? Is it okay?
Son: They hit her with clubs. No. We don't hit.
Mom: What do you think should have happened?
Son: If they were about to hit me, I would stop them. Put them in jail.
Mom: Would you want to meet Wangari?
Son: Is she still alive?
Mom: Yes. Would you want to do anything with her?
(Correction: She is no longer living. I will have to tell T tomorrow.)
Son: I'd go somewhere.
Mom: Did you like the book?
Son: I just liked the book.
Mom: What did you think was good in this book?
Son: The thing that wasn't good was that they hit her with clubs.
(This portion has had quite an impact on T.)
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