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Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa |  | Author: Jeanette Winter
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
List Price: $17.00
Buy New: $9.29
as of 11/22/2009 13:22 CST details
You Save: $7.71 (45%)
New (41) Used (18) from $7.99
Seller: bratsbargainbooks
Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 5538
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Pages: 32
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 10.9 x 8.1 x 0.4
ISBN: 0152065458
Dewey Decimal Number: 333.72092
EAN: 9780152065454
ASIN: 0152065458
Publication Date: September 21, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
As a young girl growing up in Kenya, Wangari was surrounded by trees. But years later when she returns home, she is shocked to see whole forests being cut down, and she knows that soon all the trees will be destroyed. So Wangari decides to do something—and starts by planting nine seedlings in her own backyard. And as they grow, so do her plans. . . . This true story of Wangari Maathai, environmentalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is a shining example of how one woman’s passion, vision, and determination inspired great change. Includes an author’s note. This book was printed on 100% recycled paper with 50% postconsumer waste.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 7
 This was a wonderful, true life tale of a woman who wanted to save the environment in a small way, but changed a nation! October 8, 2009
D. Fowler (Vermont)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Wangari Maathai grew up in Kenya. Under Mount Kenya there were many beautiful trees. She and her mother used to go into the forest to gather wood. She also helped her mother in the garden. Because Wangari was an excellent student, she won a scholarship to a college in America. She lived in the states for six years and when she returned she was shocked at what she saw. Kenya was not the same as it was before. There were no trees to be seen and women were struggling to get firewood for their homes and had to walk many miles to get it.
The birds were gone. Everything was stark and barren. It was enough to make her cry, but she had a plan. She began simply by "planting nine seedlings." From this tiny idea and a few seeds grew an even greater idea. Wangari started a nursery and convinced other women that they needed trees again. "Our lives will be better when we have trees again. You'll see. We are planting the seeds of hope." Kenyan men thought she was a fool and jailed her when she tried to block some cutting. She was alone in jail, yet she wasn't. Would the forests of Kenya return from a small idea and nine seedlings?
This was a wonderful, true life tale of a woman who wanted to save the environment in a small way, but ended up changing the face of a nation. The story and writing are very appealing and the art work is very complimentary. This is understandably a Vermont Red Clover Nominee for the 2009-10 year award. In the back of the book is a brief biography of Wangari, a woman whose spirit you are sure to fall in love with!
Excellent multi-cultural environmental book October 7, 2009
G. Or J. Horn (Spicewood, TX)
This is an excellent picture book follow-up to the adult version, The Challenge for Africa. It will make students aware that one person can make a difference. It will broaden their awareness of the issues that other countries are dealing with.
Perfect for an 8-year-old September 12, 2009
Deb Oestreicher (Chicago, IL USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I bought this for my 8-year-old niece. She and her mother read it together and really loved it. This is a great story, clearly told. For all our progress on the gender front, girls still need positive female role models, and Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement and Nobel Prize Winner is a terrific one. The story values education but also stresses the importance of putting education to use. Also, the story helps children understand sustainability. Finally, the story stresses how we all need to take part in forging solutions. One person can't fix enormous problems by herself.
 Powerful story of how it only takes 1 person to change the landscape of a country March 13, 2009
H. Sapiens (Sacramento, CA United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Wangari Maathai is an amazing woman - she won a scholarship to attend college in the U.S., became a professor of biology in Kenya, she enabled Kenyan woman to become environmentalists by enticing them with money, and she stood up to the government to elicit needed change to better the lives of her people. The story is powerful and still accessible, written in plain language appropriate for the 4-7 crowd.
That said - word of caution. I wanted to take this to my daughter's school, but there are two pages that make it inappropriate. The book discusses how she was beaten with clubs by police and thrown in jail. Blood is shown coming from her cheekbone. This is a difficult message to give to a 4 year old, conflicts with other messages about police we give them, and will render this book unusable in most classroom environments.
So, I am recommending the book for home use with discussion and sadly not recommending it for school use unless it has been shared beforehand with the parental types.
Wangari's Trees of Peace March 2, 2009
Carol Lite (Silver Spring, MD)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
We gave this book to both sets of grandchildren, each almost 3 and 4. They love it! One of the almost 3 year olds keeps asking me to read the book about trees, and one of the 4 year olds has now become interested in everything to do with Kenya. She keeps talking about Wangari as if she knows her. The book touched something in the children, as her memoir, Unbowed, did in me. I will recommend it to every teacher, too, as a read-aloud in schools.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 7
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