Lindsay H. Metcalf grew up on a Kansas farm and is the author of
Farmers Unite! Planting a Protest for Fair Prices. An experienced
journalist, Lindsay has covered a variety of change-makers as a
reporter, editor, and columnist for the Kansas City Star and other
news outlets. www.lindsayhmetcalf.com
Keila V. Dawson was born and raised in New Orleans. She has been a
community organizer and an early childhood special education
teacher. She has lived in the Phillipines, Japan, and Egypt. She is
the author of Opening The Road. www.keiladawson.com
Jeanette Bradley has been an urban planner, an apprentice pastry
chef, and the artist-in-residence for a traveling art museum on a
train. She is the author and illustrator of Love, Mama. Jeanette
lives in Rhode Island with her wife and kids.
www.jeanettebradley.com
Jeanette Bradley has been an urban planner, an apprentice pastry
chef, and the artist-in-residence for a traveling art museum on a
train. She is the author and illustrator of Love, Mama. Jeanette
lives in Rhode Island with her wife and kids.
Profiles of 12 young climate activists and three grassroots groups,
matched to painted portraits and original poems.
Similar in concept to No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans
Making History (2020), by the same creators, but taking a worldwide
perspective, these entries highlight successful initiatives
undertaken by school-age children in locales from the Marshall
Islands to Ukraine and the Americas. Though Greta Thunberg—flashing
her magnificent scowl in Bradley’s digital pastel—is the subject of
one of the early entries, the other chosen activists will be mostly
unfamiliar to readers. The poems are largely identified as free
verse, such as one by Traci Sorell that acrostically spells out the
name of Indigenous Brazilian tree planter Artemisa Xakriabá, but
include examples of less common forms, too, such as a dokugin (or
single-author) renga by David Bowles praising Mexica activist
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, and a Vietnamese-style lục bát by Teresa
Robeson commemorating the work of biodiesel-promoting “Grease
Police” on Bali. The editors spread prompts for both individual and
collective action throughout and add capsule biographies of the
poets and descriptions of each kind of poem at the close.
Inspiring examples for fledgling defenders of the
environment.
—Kirkus Reviews
Introducing climate change–combating young people and related
actions readers can take, thisunusual, quietly forceful book will
be a great addition to classroom and public library shelves.
Itstarts with a macro view, with the editors briefly explaining to
readers what “nearly all of theworld’s countries” agreed to in the
Paris Agreement: “to reach climate neutrality—no increase inthe
greenhouse effect—by 2050.” The book then zooms in on individuals
and groups of youngpeople who aren’t waiting for that change. Short
prose explanations of their actions areaccompanied by poems in
various forms that memorably address the same topics. GretaThunberg
is here, but the book also introduces lesser-known activists such
as teens from theMarshall Islands who teach their peers to advocate
for island-saving progress and LeahNamugerwa, a Ugandan who planted
200 trees on her fifteenth birthday and whose BirthdayTrees project
helps others follow suit. Digital images portray each person in an
artful but realisticstyle, giving the serious topic a welcome,
hopeful air. Closing the work is a helpful guide to thepoetry forms
used.
—Booklist
A timely and relevant book highlighting youth activists and
youth-led organizations fighting climate change around the
world.
Using poetry and art, the authors write about some of the most
prominent, but also the lesser known, young people opening the door
wider on global activism. The book highlights a variety of
activists with a wide range of inventive solutions to climate
change issues. Each activist is introduced via poem, and then a
short summary about the activist and a practical suggestion for
reader involvement follows. The poetry includes many popular forms
such as found poetry and free verse, but also lesser-known forms
such as sea chantey and dokugin renga, a Japanese form of linked
verse. The many poetry types reinforce the belief that different
peoples and ideas can work together to effect change. The seeming
pencil-and-ink illustrations are digitally produced, but well
designed; the activists depicted are easily recognizable. Color
elements, such as the constant brown paper–style background,
supplement the environmental message. There is a glossary of terms
and poetry forms, as well as biographical information for each
poet. The publisher pledges to offset the climate footprint of the
book’s publication by purchasing United Nations certified emission
reduction credits for each copy purchased.
VERDICT A great title to introduce curious readers and budding
environmentalists to what youth are doing around the world right
now to fight global climate change.
—School Library Journal
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
