Emily, 10-Year-Old Champion of Rainforest Animals in Need by Cathleen Burnham

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.

Our Heroes: How Kids are Making a Difference

Global Oneness Day – Oct. 24, 2014

Our Heroes: How Kids Are Making a Difference

Janet Wilson, Author and Illustrator

Second Story Press, Biography, September 2014

Suitable for Ages: 7-12

Themes: Child Activism, Reformers, Oneness, Kindness, Social Justice

Opening: “Ubuntu is a word that describes a way of living. It encourages us to treat each other with kindness because all humans are connected. Ubuntu is compassion for ourselves, for others near and far, and for the Earth. Ubuntu is our humanity.”

Book Synopsis: Our Heroes is a collection of true stories about child activists who have opened their hearts and minds to creatively solve the global problems of poverty, hunger and the right to receive an education. Meet Andrew Adansi-Bonnah, 11, from Ghana, who raised thousands of dollars to feed refugee children in Somalia. Alaina Podmorow, 9, from Canada, founded an organization to raise money to train Afghani teachers, pay salaries, and buy books to educate girls and women, and support an orphanage. Kyle Weiss, 13, from the USA, and his brother Garrett, raised money to build soccer fields near schools across Africa where children who have experienced trauma or conflict could heal. Arti Verma,12, from India, became an agent for social change when she spoke to her village leaders about abolishing the discriminating caste system. Arti and her classmates led rallies and lower caste children –the untouchables– were allowed in schools.

Why I like this book: Janet Wilson is an author who writes the stories I want to read and gives me hope for the future of our global community. She beautifully captures each child’s spirit and tugs at my heartstrings. Our Heroes is inspiring, powerful and thought-provoking. It is the third book in Wilson’s series about child activism. True to her style, Wilson showcases 10 young activists from around the globe who are on a mission to improve the lives of others. Her kid-friendly, double-page spreads feature an illustrated child’s portrait, information on what the child is doing to improve the quality of life in a community, pictures, and sidebars featuring other children activists. Winter says, “The children in this book never set out to be heroes or to be famous, but in acting on the kindness in their hearts, they have made a difference. They have all planted seed of compassion and love.”

Janet Wilson is an artist and author of many picture books. I’ve reviewed her other two books on child activism, Our Earth: How Kids are Saving the Planet and Our Rights: How Kids are Changing the World, which are popular with educators and students. Winter’s books have won many awards.

Resources: The book is a resource. At the end there is a section for students on “What YOUth Can Do,” that will spark many lively discussions and encourage kids to think about what they may do alone or together to make the world a better place. What will you do? Visit Janet Wilson at her website.

Our Heroes is the perfect book to share today with over 50,000 people celebrating Global Oneness Day. It was created by Humanity’s Team in 2010. Central to its theme is solidarity and recognizing our similarities. This year it will begin at dawn in Australia and spread as the sun rises around the world. On Global Oneness Day, Humanity’s Team “invites people to take this awareness of our Oneness public for one day, to remind others of our fundamental interconnection with all people and all life.”

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 Perfect Picture Books.

Our Rights: How Kids are Changing the World

Our Rights: How Kids are Changing the World

Janet Wilson, Author and Illustrator

Second Story Press, Nonfiction, 2013

Suitable for Ages: 7-10

Themes: Children, Social reformers, Human rights workers, Civil rights workers, Children’s rights

Opening: “The star thrower is one of a galaxy of bright stars — children who are part of a powerful and growing force daring to create a better world by standing up and speaking out for their right to be treated equally, to live in dignity, and to have their opinions respected.”

Synopsis: Everyday children around the world are standing up for their rights and making a difference in their communities. Meet Emanuel Bagual from the Philippines who fought against the bullies in the slums and founded Mind Your Rights to help reduce the cycle of abuse and neglect of children by teaching parents, educators and children their basic rights. Nujood Ali of Yemen escaped from an arranged marriage and went to a courthouse and asked the judge for a divorce, which was granted. Her book, I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced, inspired other girls to come forward to sue for divorce. She wants to become a lawyer and help other girls. Dylan Mahalingam from the USA started an online charity to raise money to fight child poverty. Anita Khushwaha of India became a beekeeper (male work) to pay for her for schooling and inspired other families to take up beekeeping. She became a role model for millions of girls in India. Zach Bonner of the USA collected water for the homeless following a hurricane — 27 truckloads.

Why I like this book: I will admit I am a fan of Janet Wilson’s books. Our Rights is packed with inspiring, true-life stories about children around the world who are standing up for their rights and daring to make a difference in their own lives, communities and world. These children are working for the rights of children in a peaceful way. Wilson captures their powerful stories in a double-page spread which features a warm and beautifully painted illustration of the featured child on the left and text and photographs about the child in action on the right. This is an excellent book to use during International Day of Peace, September 21. This book belongs in every classroom.

Resources: The book closes with “Kids Take Action!” and “What YOUth Can Do” to become activists. It will spark many lively discussions and encourage kids to think about what they can do in their communities. These children are our superheroes who will change the world. Janet Wilson is a well-known Canadian author and illustrator. Visit Janet Wilson’s website.

Big Announcement: On Monday I will review PPB contributor Barbara Gruener’s new book on character development, What’s Under Your Cape: Superheroes of the Character Kind. There will be a book giveaway.

Our Earth – Earth Day April 22

Our Earth: How Kids are Saving the Planet

Janet Wilson, Author and Illustrator

Second Story Press, Biography, 2010

Suitable for Ages: 7 -12

Themes: Kids Saving the Planet, Conservation, Environmentalists, Youth Activists

Opening: Every living thing shares one home — our Earth.

Synopsis: This is a collection of stories featuring 10 children, ages 7 to 17, who are doing amazing things to save the earth. The youths live in every part of the world. Wilson says that nearly half the earth’s population is young. Many are compassionate, creative and share a love of nature. She features Ryan Hreljac from Canada who is building wells in Africa to bring people clean water…Janine Licare from Costa Rica who is saving the rainforest and its animals…Adeline Tiffanie Suwana from Indonesia whose organization, Sahabat Alam (Friends of Nature) plants coral in damaged ocean reefs and mangroves trees to prevent damage from hurricanes and natural disasters…Fang Minghe of China and his Green Eyes Group rush to the outdoor markets looking for endangered breeds of animals and secretly films the sellers and reports them to the police…Sam Levin from the USA who has created a student run organic school vegetable garden which supplies the school’s cafeteria with fresh fruits and vegetables and donates food to needy families….and William Kamkwamba of Malawi, who built a windmill to harness the wind and create electricity for his village. These are only a few of the inspiring stories.

Why I like this book: This is an exciting book for Earth Day, April 22! I have watched children activists grow in numbers worldwide for years. Janet Wilson has written a very empowering book about young people who have a strong desire to create a healthier world. Each two-page spread includes a portrait of each child by Wilson, photographs of their work, quotes and information about their projects. In the opening of Our Earth, Wilson shares a version of a traditional Aboriginal story about the Rainbow Warriors, “children who have a strong love of nature and a desire to find ways to be part of the solution.” “They are our Rainbow Warriors. ”

Resources: Wilson devotes a section to “Kids Create!” at the end of the book where children can learn more about conservation and find ways to get involved at home, school and in their community. You can visit Janet Wilson at her website and view her other books on peace and young activists. I also learned about an organization, Kids Are Heroes, where kids are making a big difference in our world. Vivian Kirkwood, at Positive Parental Participation, introduced me to this inspiring group of kids.