Earth Day 2021: A Celebration in International Picture Books
How does one celebrate Earth Day? One might plant a tree or write a poem. One might organize a community clean-up at a local park, beach, or nature preserve. One might investigate how to “go green” via recycling, energy consumption, or food choices. One might start a garden or start a protest. All of this is to say, whether one takes a quiet walk alone or reaches out to connect with the broader community or the world, there is no one way to celebrate Earth Day.
The selection of international children’s picture books listed here demonstrate exactly this—we humans connect to our environment in a variety of ways. Some of the books listed here demonstrate the awe and beauty of the natural world, while some grieve its destruction. Some are journeys of discovery, while others demonstrate the need for active protection of the environment. Some share practical suggestions of what we can do now to live sustainably, while others imaginatively explore what a future Earth might look like without us. Whether presenting fantasy landscapes inhabited by strange animals or mythic spirits, or alternately showing the role scientific and technological advancement plays today, these books all invite us to consider our personal relationship with the Earth via a sense of play, activism, and wonder.
AUSTRALIA
The Hidden Forest
Author/Illustrator: Jeannie Baker
Publisher: Walker Books, 2005
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0744578768
A stunning exploration of a beautiful but endangered world, by the creator of the award-winning Where the Forest Meets the Sea and Window.
Ben holds little regard for sea life. Looking for his lost fish trap, Ben thinks he sees something dark moving under the water. Is it a creature or only his imagination?
When his fish trap is tangled in the kelp, his friend Sophie helps him to free it and so takes Ben under the sea where he discovers the enchanted world of the kelp forest and its inhabitants. Ben’s experience turns him from fear and exploitation to wonder and exploration. He is amazed to discover a wonderful hidden world – and the rich variety of creatures that live there.
Source: Publisher and Author’s website.
BRAZIL
Um dia, um rio (One day, a river)
Author: Leo Cunha
Illustrator: André Neves
Publisher: São Paulo: Pulo do Gato, 2016
Language: Portuguese
ISBN: 978-85-64974-96-8
Brazil’s gravest environmental catastrophe occurred in November 2015, when two dams broke and highly toxic sewage from an ore mine flowed into the Rio Doce. A 700 kilometre long stretch of the river was poisoned, flora and fauna were killed, the human population cut off from drinking water. The river’s ecosystem is destroyed for the foreseeable future. Renowned author Leo Cunha handles this inconceivable event in an unusual way in his poem by giving the river a voice. In gentle, melodious language, it speaks of itself and of life, and of the riches it gives to people and to nature – until one day it is suddenly no longer a river. Where there was melody, now there is silence. Where there was sweet water, now there is bitter sludge. Where there was life, now there is only death. Illustrator André Neves enhances the poignant text with pictures full of symbolism and melancholy. The river is depicted as a child, unshielded from and succumbing to the violence and overpowering force of industrial destruction.
Source: White Ravens issue: 2017
CHINA
Wo kan jian yi zhi niao (I saw a bird)
Author/Illustrator: Bo le Liu
Jinan: Ming tian chu ban she (Tomorrow Publishing House), 2014
Language: Chinese
ISBN: 978-7-5332-7939-4
A little girl sees a strange bird while playing in the Dakeng Scenic Area in Taiwan. She sketches it to ask her mother what kind of bird it is. As they investigate the answer together, readers get to know a number of different birds living in the area. The birds are illustrated in watercolour with impressive delicacy and beauty, reminiscent of the elaborate style of traditional Chinese painting. The book won the first prize of the third Feng Zikai Children’s Picture Books Award. This award is now counted as the most prestigious of its kind in the Chinese-speaking world. Liu Bo le, born in 1952 in Taiwan, worked as an editor for art and children’s nonfiction books after studying painting. He writes and illustrates non-fiction books such as this one, which are camouflaged as picture books, is an environmental activist and a photographer of nature, notably of birds. These activities have earned him the nickname "Liu niao" (Liu bird).
Source: White Ravens issue: 2014
FRANCE
Ma vallée (My Valley)
Author/Illustrator: Claude Ponti
Translator: Alyson Waters
Publisher: Elsewhere Editions, 2017
Language: French, English
ISBN: 978-0-914671-62-6
Claude Ponti is one of France’s most celebrated children’s writers. His works create captivating fictional universes through wordplay and illustrations of incredible detail and beauty. In 2006, he was awarded the Prix Sorcières Spécial for his lifetime achievement. In My Valley, Ponti leads us on a journey through the enchanted world of the Twims (tiny, extremely lovable, monkey-like creatures), a universe where uprooted buildings soar through the sky, trees keep the secrets you whisper to them, magic seeds grow into huge ships, and singing stones make children’s wishes come true. Ponti has said of his works, “My stories are like fairytales, always situated in the marvelous, speaking to the interior life and emotions of children. That way each child can get what they want out of the images: the characters and dreams are their own.”
Source: Publisher
IRAN
Ǧangal-hāy-i Māngru (Harā)
(Djangal-haye Magro (Hara))
(The mangrove forests [Hara])
Author: Ardawān Zarandīyān
Photographer: Hādī Anşārī
Publisher: Tihrān: Intišārāt-i Fannī-i Irān, Kitāb-hāy-i Nardibān (Entesharate Fanni Iran, Ketabhaye Nardeban), 2018
Series: Zīst-i Irān; 1
Language: Persian (Farsi)
ISBN 978-600-477-041-5
This book is about the Mangrove forests of Qeshm (Hara Forests), one of the most amazing ecosystems in Iran, which is a sign of natural resistance for sustainable wildlife. It is the first volume in the series “Zīst-i Irān” (Iran’s environment), aimed at increasing environmental awareness in children and young adults in order to protect Iran’s natural heritage. The book has unique images of the animal and plant species of this region and provides the opportunity for children and young adults to get acquainted with this part of Iranian nature. The author is a specialist in environmental studies; his prose is simple and accessible for young readers. The quality of the large-format pictures are outstanding, and the use of photographs specifically taken for this publication makes it a special work and a first-rate resource on the subject. Beautiful, attractive, simple, and at the same time expert, informative, and scientific – this is the best way to describe this non-fiction book.
Source: White Ravens issue: 2019
ITALY
Our World Out of Balance: Understanding Climate Change and What We Can Do
Author: Andrea Minoglio
Illustrator: Laura Fanelli
Translator: Emma Mandley
Publisher: Blue Dot Kids Press
Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-73500-053-4
This accessible guide for children details how humans have thrown the planet off-balance and ways we can work to create a healthier world.
Encouraging and easily digestible, this illustrated nonfiction guide introduces children ages eight to twelve to the important topic of climate change with tips on “How You Can Help” and citizen scientist activities.
Filled with engaging big ideas that will inspire children to think about their role in keeping our world healthy, Our World Out of Balance details how humans have thrown the planet off-balance and ways we can work together to be part of the solution and create a healthier world.
Source: Publisher
JAPAN
Yanbaru no shonen(やんばるの少年)(The Boy of Yanbaru)
Author/Illustrator: Yukihiko Tajima
Publisher: Doshinsha, 2019
Language: Japanese
ISBN: 978-4494012459
The word yanbaru refers to the original forest that covers the northern part of Okinawa island, the westernmost part of Japan. It is a treasure trove of rare animal and bird species threatened with extinction. To the children in this story, the forest is a natural playground where they climb trees, jump into the river, and fish. But the great trees are to be felled to build an American air force base. Local men and women protest by blocking the road to stop the bulldozers. The powerful illustrations convey from a child’s perspective the cruelty of razing this bountiful forest to build a military base. (Nogami)
MOROCCO
Solar Story: How One Community Lives Alongside the World's Biggest Solar Plant
Author/Illustrator: Allan Drummond
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2020
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0374308995
In his signature style, Allan Drummond tells the story of the largest solar plant in the world, the Noor Solar Power Plant in Morocco's Sahara Desert, in Solar Story--by relating it to the everyday life of a schoolgirl in a small village next to the plant.
As we see on a class field trip, the plant is not only bringing reliable power to the village and far beyond, but is providing jobs, changing lives, and upending the old ways of doing things--starting within the girl's own family.
Blending detail-filled watercolors, engaging cartoon-style narration, sidebars, and an afterword, the author showcases another community going green in amazing ways.
Source: Publisher
PERU
Zonia’s Rain Forest
Author/Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2021
Language: English, Spanish, Asháninka
ISBN-13: 978-1536208450
Zonia’s home is the Amazon rain forest, where it is always green and full of life. Every morning, the rain forest calls to Zonia, and every morning, she answers. She visits the sloth family, greets the giant anteater, and runs with the speedy jaguar. But one morning, the rain forest calls to her in a troubled voice. How will Zonia answer?
Acclaimed Peruvian-born author-illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal explores the wonders of the rain forest with Zonia, an Asháninka girl, in her joyful outdoor adventures. The engaging text emphasizes Zonia’s empowering bond with her home, while the illustrations—created on paper made from banana bark—burst with luxuriant greens and delicate details. Illuminating back matter includes a translation of the story in Asháninka, information on the Asháninka community, and resources on the Amazon rain forest and its wildlife.
A heartfelt, visually stunning picture book from Caldecott Honor and Robert F. Sibert Medal winner Juana Martinez-Neal illuminates a young girl’s day of play and adventure in the lush rain forest of Peru.
Source: Publisher
PORTUGAL
A cidade dos animais (The city of the animals, or Animal City)
Author/Illustrator: Joan Negrescolor
Translator: Carla Oliveira
Publisher: Lisboa: Orfeu Negro, 2017
Language: Portuguese
ISBN: 978-989-8327-99-4
Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2018
Language: English
ISBN: 978-1452175652
The book of Catalan artist Joan Negrescolor (b. 1978) will intoxicate readers with intense colours and fabulous forms. A lush world reveals itself in swirling and shining reds, yellows, greens, and turquoises. We are seeing the remains of an apparently abandoned or destroyed city, overgrown by the jungle and inhabited by wild animals. A girl named Nina loves to visit the city to tell the animals of the past days of the world of human beings. The book’s short text is ambiguous and leaves many things in the air. It seems most like a prophetic vision of a future where the disappearance of human civilization is not a grim dystopia, but rather a lively utopia. Nature takes back what humans have taken away from it. Across large double-page spreads, the silhouettes of plants, animals, buildings, and objects layer one on top of the other or merge. They aptly visualize the concept of the book, where artifacts gradually disappear behind vigorous, powerful nature.
Source: White Ravens issue: 2017
SOUTH AFRICA
Wij waren hier eerst (We were here first)
Author/Photographer: Joukie Akveld
Illustrator: Piet Grobler
Photographer: Justin Fox
Publisher: Haarlem: Gottmer, 2017
Language: Dutch
ISBN: 978-90-257-6649-8
Joukje Akveld trekked by foot through South Africa and visited shelters for threatened wild animals, including cheetahs who rarely breed, rhinoceroses on the run from poachers, and pesky bag-stealing baboons. An animal is introduced in every chapter of her book, along with its wild habitat. Akveld’s personal observations, the know-how of local experts, and the funny tips about how to – and especially how not to – handle wild animals make her approach unique. Akveld also broaches difficult subjects. Are there, for instance, too many elephants or not enough? It all depends on how you look at it. There are few of them worldwide, but in and around nature reserves there are too many. She teases apart in humorous ways many tourist misunderstandings about the animals. The photos (most of them taken by Akveld herself) are beautiful, and Grobler’s small, colourful illustrations, which sometimes form part of a photo, are sophisticated. The book was nominated for the 2018 Woutertje Pieterse Award and received a Silver Slate Pencil award this year.
Source: White Ravens issue: 2018
SPAIN
Árboles (Trees)
Author: Mario Benedetti
Illustrator: Javier Zabala
Publisher: Barcelona [et al.]: Libros del Zorro Rojo, 2012
Series: Libros de cordel
Language: Spanish
ISBN: 978-84-96509-99-3
Libros del Zorro Rojo presents another pearl of Spanish-language literature in the form of a picture book. It is based on a text of the famous Uruguayan author Mario Benedetti (1920-2009), which is taken from his 2008 publication “Vivir adrede” (Conscious living). In the style of a prose poem, Benedetti describes the beauty of trees, their agreeableness and modesty in a discreet, almost tender manner. Trees bear mute witness to the speechlessness that defines relations between humankind and nature. Spanish illustrator Javier Zabala has created airy, transparent pictures to accompany the text, using a mixed-media technique of ink, water colour, and paper collage. With a few lines, brush strokes, colour splotches, and abstract shapes he grows delicate, magical landscapes, which translate the subtle poetry of the text in a congenial manner.
Source: White Ravens issue: 2013
SWITZERLAND
Changeons! (Let’s change this!)
Author/Illustrator: Francesco Giustozzi
Publisher: Genève: La Joie de lire, 2017
Language: French
ISBN 978-2-88908-377-0
How can one educate children about the fragile balance of nature, its ongoing harm, and the limits of growth? How to show the human species as the greatest disruption, the greatest threat to life on the planet? Francesco Giustozzi achieves these feats in his textless picture book. His expressive chalk drawings and collages form an environmental parable without being alarmist. He courageously focuses on the essential. In the story, a water-side habitation develops into a city whose steady growth, pollution, and exploitation of its environment gradually poison the water, the air, and the land. A filthy Moloch is created, causing the humans and animals to flee. Nature inconspicuously wins back its territory after that. Even without words, the author makes a compelling case for change and utopian thinking. Instead of passively complaining, he calls for self-empowerment. After all, the world, as the title suggests, is made to be changed, not to make do.
Source: White Ravens issue: 2018
TURKEY
Yeşil günlük (Green diary)
Authors: Fatih Dikmen and Zeynep Sevde
Illustrator: Eren Dedeleroğlu
Publisher: Üsküdar-İstanbul: Taze Kitap, 2016
Language: Turkish
ISBN: 978-605-84228-5-8
“Yeşil Günlük” is a multi-sensory activity book that animates its readers to go outside and engage with nature. Its cover is made out of natural linen (and includes a pencil case with a zipper). With a little wooden shovel attached to the cover and four little sachets of seeds on its inside front cover, the book provides everything that young nature enthusiasts need to start getting their hands dirty. The first pages explain some key concepts regarding plants and gardening with the help of enticing illustrations. The rest of the book is made up of descriptions of thirty-six different plants, all of which can be found in Turkey. Blank pages invite readers to fill them not only with their observations, but also with leaves that they have collected and dried following the informative book’s instructions. This “green diary” encourages its readers to be more observant of their surroundings, invokes curiosity about nature, and helps children familiarize themselves with the flora and fauna around them.
Source: White Ravens issue: 2017
UKRAINE
Tukoni – meškanec' lisu
(Tukoni – meshkanec lisu)
(Tukoni – the forest habitant)
Author/Illustrator: Oksana Bula
Publisher: L'viv: Vydavnyctvo Staroho Leva, 2018
Language: Ukrainian
ISBN: 978-617-679-492-9
Illustrator Oksana Bula (b. 1989) is frequently noted in the Ukraine for her gentle, nature-embedded picture book worlds. She has received awards for her books about trees, plants, bison, and bear. Her previous books have already introduced readers to representatives of the “Tukoni,” a mysterious species of animal that lives in the forest. Now, these are protagonists with a unique story: they are calm, mindful creatures who take care of trees, flowers, forest animals, and the change of seasons. The Tukoni seem like the guardians of this world and preserve its vitality and peaceable quality. Oksana Bula links her picture book stories together using animal protagonists, who communicate with each other. The actual protagonists are, however, nature and the magic of the forest, in which all life plays out and which is worth celebrating as an astonishing world in its own right.
Source: White Ravens issue: 2019
Tukoni is also a video game on STEAM—a point-and-click puzzle adventure, based on the series of award-winning books by Ukrainian artist Oksana Bula. Play as Tukoni, the forest spirits, as you meet unique characters, solve captivating puzzles, craft new items, and explore a magical world filled with kindness.
UNITED KINGDOM
The Lost Spells
Author: Robert Macfarlane
Illustrator: Jackie Morris
Publisher: Anansi, 2020
Language: English
ISBN: 978-1487007799
The follow-up to the internationally bestselling sensation The Lost Words, The Lost Spells is a beautiful collection of poems and illustrations that evokes the magic of the everyday natural world.
Since its publication in 2017, The Lost Words has enchanted readers with its poetry and illustrations of the natural world. Now, The Lost Spells, a book kindred in spirit and tone, continues to re-wild the lives of children and adults.
The Lost Spells evokes the wonder of everyday nature, conjuring up red foxes, birch trees, jackdaws, and more in poems and illustrations that flow between the pages and into readers’ minds. Robert Macfarlane’s spell-poems and Jackie Morris’s watercolour illustrations are musical and magical: these are summoning spells, words of recollection, charms of protection. To read The Lost Spells is to see anew the natural world within our grasp and to be reminded of what happens when we allow it to slip away.
Source: Publisher
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tanja Nathanael is currently a lecturer at San Jose State University and teaches Children’s Literature and Fantasy & Science Fiction Literature online. She received her doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2019. Her research interests include Northern spaces in nineteenth-century British literature and borders and peripheries in international children’s literature. She formerly served on the ChLA international committee (2015-2018) and continues to support its goals as co-editor of the blog to encourage interest in international children’s literature.
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