Emily, 10-Year-Old Champion of Rainforest Animals in Need
Cathleen Burnham, Author and Photographer
Crickhollow Books, Nonfiction, Sep. 15, 2018
Series: World Association of Kids and Animals
Suitable for Ages: 7-12
Themes: Global Youth Activism, Nature, Rainforest, Animal Rescue, Baby Sloth, Endangered Wildlife
Opening: High in a tree in a rainforest in Costa Rica, a mother sloth slept, cradling her baby close to her. The mother was sleeping, but the baby was wide awake.
Synopsis:
Meet Emily, a 10-year-old girl, who is active in a youth-led conservation program to save rain forest animals in western Costa Rica. She helps care for an orphaned sloth at an animal sanctuary by taking it for walks along a jungle path and participates in other activities to protect local wildlife and their environment.
When Emily arrives at a local youth program, Kids Saving the Rainforest (KSTR), she and her friends perform a play about teaching tourists to not feed wild animals human food. Bananas and cookies makes them sick. They play is a good way to practice when they encounter tourists. Afterwards, they grab garbage bags and enter the jungle to clean up trash, plastic bottles, gum wrappers and food packages that can make animals sick. They also sponsor blue rope bridges to help squirrel monkeys cross busy roads and stay away from dangerous power lines. Because of their work, the titi monkey populations are growing.
The story highlights the impact young people can have on protecting local wild animals and preserving natural habitats.
Like the earlier books in this World Association of Kids and Animals (WAKA) series (Doyli to the Rescue: Saving Baby Monkeys in the Amazon; Tortuga Squad: Kids Saving Sea Turtles in Costa Rica; and Tony and His Elephants, set in Thailand), the text and photos show a youngster deeply involved in caring for the well-being of baby wild animals in need of shelter, food, and lots of love.
Why I like this book:
Cathleen Burnham’s mission is to find, photograph and celebrate children who are united in a cause to rescue and save endangered wildlife around the globe. Her true and inspiring photodocumentary books are a call to children globally that they don’t have to be adults to make a difference. Emily and the youth of western Costa Rica are passionate young conservationists trying to save rainforest animals through their organization Kids Saving the Rainforest (KSTR).
Burnham’s books inspire and empower children. Every page is filled with rich, beautiful and touching photographs that capture life in the Costa Rica rainforest and shows the delicate ecosystems and the gorgeous endangered species living there, including sloths, birds and a variety of monkeys. She also focuses on the dangers in the town of monkeys trying to cross the streets and shows the young KSTR activists engaged with tourists.
The conservation message is clear and blended into a glimpse of everyday life of child activists who are involved in inspiring small-scale, grassroots animal-rescue efforts. The story shows the impact young people can have on protecting local wild animals and preserving natural habitats.
Burnham continues to show that children can have a real impact on the world around them! Kids are not just the next generations of caretakers of our planet, they also can do things now to make a difference. The WAKA series are stories of kid power — real kids who inspire other kids to empathize with the wild world around them, to see how we are all connected on this planet, and to find ways to make a difference.
Resources: To learn more about the amazing things Emily and other committed children are doing to protect wildlife around the globe, visit the World Association of Kids and Animals (WAKA) and get involved. There is a special teacher’s guide available for classroom use. Make sure you read the Author’s Note about the story behind KSTR and the two nine-year-old girls who founded the organization. Burnham also encourages kids to ask themselves, “What do you care about most? What can you do to make a difference? Is there something you can do in your community?
Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
*Copy of book provided by publisher.
Reblogged this on Parinitha Konanur .
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Thank you for sharing my review.
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I love a book that focuses on the differences kids can make in the world. Wonderful review, Pat!
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My favorite theme for kids. I try to publish a lot of stories about kids making a difference in their world.
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Oh my gosh, this book hits my favorite soft spot. I am heading over to my library page to reserve a copy. Thank you for letting us know about “Emily, 10-Year-Old Champion of Rainforest Animals in Need.”
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Yes, it is an exceptional book. If you haven’t read the entire series, you are in for a treat.
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How wonderful to know that children can make a difference. Kids will love this and learn a lot!
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These books are popular with kids. And, I am very impressed with Cathleen Burnham’s work. When I e-mailed her recently, she was on a plane headed to Peru. Thought you’d appreciate that. She travels the world searching for stories.
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A woman after my own heart! Thanks for sharing that with me.
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You are welcome!
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I love books that highlight kids making a difference. This should inspire activism in kids and adults, alike!
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I hope so. Emily’s story is very compelling. Kids would love to be involved in the work she’s doing.
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What a great idea to feature kids making a difference. Inspiring and affirming kid power! I started giggling when you mentioned that she takes the baby sloth for walks, immediately envisioning how slow that walk would be. But then I understood that she carries the sloth on the little stuffy (as shown on the cover) while walking. But that sloth-walking image sticks with me, continuing to make me smile.
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I had a similar reaction at first until I looked at the illustrations! These are my favorite stories to share!
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Such an important message, that you don’t have to wait to be an adult to help. This books sounds so empowering for our intermediate-aged activists!
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I agree. Kids love to be involved in projects that help animals. I share these stories for the coming generations of kids who want to make a difference in our world.
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Oh, somehow I missed that there was a new one out in this conservation series. Thank you for the review.
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Never to late to give this story more book love. We both love to share these stories.
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Such a great book choice. I love texts that show kids how they can make a difference — adults, too 🙂
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So do I. And Crickhollow Books and WAKA have some great titles.
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Patricia, we were on the same wavelength this week – conservation. I haven’t seen this book yet. I can’t wait to read it! I am so glad you featured it.
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Yes, we were. I am glad you enjoyed my share. There are three other books in this series.
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Hurray for Emily. Such an inspiring story. Looking forward to finding this one. Thanks for the background information.
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I almost shared this on MMGM, because it is perfect for middle graders. I love this author and her work.
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What a lovely inspiring story. This will be great for kids especially in the classroom where there creative side can be encouraged. What a fine!
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Yes, it is a wonderful resource book. The author has three other books, the last about Tony who helps rescue baby elephants in Thailand.
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What a great book. It’s inspiring for children, for all of us, to know that we can make a difference.
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I would think there are a lot of kids involved in rescuing wildlife in Australia and involved in many other ways.
Thanks for alerting me to my accidental release. That’s what I get for staying up to late reviewing books. Thank goodness I had only set up my review. I stopped it.
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🙂 I thought my comment might alert you to it.
There are many wonderful project for children to be involved in in Australia.
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We need more books like this – to show kids that they can make a positive difference in the world.
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Yes, I agree. I love to share books like this!
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What a wonderful series to spread the world that we all can help save animals & our environment.
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I have read and reviewed every book in Burnham’s series and love her mission to challenge kids to make a difference. Her books are designed for kids 7-12.
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