Wangari's Trees of Peace

Winter, Jeanette. Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa. Illustrated by Jeanette Winter. Harcourt, Inc., 2008. 32 pages. $17.00. ISBN 9780152065454.

Summary:

Can one person make a difference in the world? Wangari Maathai did! When she returned from studying in America, Maathai noticed the changes in the Kenyan landscape. The landscape had been deforested to create space for communities to grow; now, village women had to travel long distances by foot to collect firewood. Maathai started a grassroots initiative to replant Kenya’s trees by employing women to plant and care for seedling trees.

Curriculum Connections:

A biography unit for young readers can be difficult: engaging their interest, yet with text that is appropriate. This picture book format presents key points from Maathai’s life, with colorful, illustrative paintings that support the text. There are two to five sentences per page with an accompanying, 6”x6” illustration.

Personal Reflections:

I was curious to see how Winter would address the issue of Maathai’s imprisonment for her civil disobedience, in a way that would not scare or alienate young listeners. Winter keeps the text simple: “Wangari blocks their way, so they [the government officials] hit her with clubs. They call her a troublemaker and put her in jail.” Maathai stays true to her beliefs and prevails.

Awards:

School Library Journal Best Books of 2008

Age/Interest Range:

6-12

Genre/Themes:

Nonfiction, Biography, Multiculturalism, Africa

Read-Alikes:

Several other picture book biographies have a similar feel, and share the lives of people who have made a difference: Our Abe Lincoln (Aylesworth), Sequoyah (Rumford), and Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope (Grimes).