[LM_NET] ELEM: BOOK REVIEW: Planting the Trees of Kenya by Claire A. Nivola

[Toni Buzzeo <tonibuzzeo@TONIBUZZEO.COM>]

Colleagues, Cheryl Youse suggested that I might be able to get rid of 
those pesky HTML formatting characters if my digest versions of 
reviews by using an e-mail stripper.  I've tried it and I'm hoping it 
will work.  If so, I promise always to do that before 
posting.  Fingers crossed!  Toni

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai by Claire 
A. Nivola. FSG, 2008. 978-0-374-39918-4

As inspirational as it is beautiful and instructive, Planting the 
Trees of Kenya will satisfy its readers while filling a multitude of 
curricular needs.  In the tradition of the fictional Miss Rumphius, 
this picture book celebrates the difference that one woman can 
make.  Wangari Maathai is the mother of the Green Belt Movement in 
Kenya which has literally changed the landscape of a country that has 
suffered from deforestation, erosion, and its effects on the health 
and welfare of the people living there.  Told simply and with great 
respect, this biography chronicles for young readers, the ways in 
which one person can make a difference by acting individually and 
locally.  Maathai is responsible for the planting of thirty million 
trees in Kenya and for a return to local responsibility for the 
land.  Nivola's simple text complements her beautiful, detailed 
illustrations and double-page landscapes (also reminiscent of 
Cooney).  As we turn our focus to the preservation of our planet, I 
cannot imagine a more perfect picture book biography to share with 
students launching an ecology unit, a biography unit, a women's 
studies unit, an Africa unit, or an Earth Day celebration.  Better 
yet, read it aloud simply to inspire your students to believe that 
the actions of one person can change the fate of the 
world.  Suggested grades K-5.

This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from 
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Toni Buzzeo, MA, MLIS <mailto:tonibuzzeo@tonibuzzeo.com>
Maine Library Media Specialist of the Year Emerita
Buxton, ME 04093
http://www.tonibuzzeo.com
R is for Research, illustrated by Nicole Wong (Upstart 2008) BRAND NEW! 

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