Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa

Wangari Maathai, the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner whose Green Belt Movement has planted 30 million trees in Kenya, is the subject of Winters ("The Librarian of Basra") eloquent picture biography. Much like Claire Nivola's recent "Planting the Trees of Kenya", this work, for a slightly younger audience, introduces Wangari as a child, liv[ing] under an umbrella of green trees in the shadow of Mount Kenya. The tightly focused text moves quickly without sacrificing impact. Wangari earns a scholarship to study in the U.S., and when she returns after six years, she's stunned, setting down her luggage in a veritable wasteland, extending her palms as if imploring someone to answer her unspoken questions: "What has happened?"... "Where are the trees?"She plants seedlings in her own backyard, a small start that eventually inspires thousands of others (and, perhaps, the reader) to emulate her. Winters images appear in framed, same-size squares on each page, creating a flat, frieze-like effect that pays off as Wangari's movement grows and the activities within each frame multiply, a powerful demonstration of Wangari's work. Ages 3-7."(Sept.)"

Copyright 2008 Publishers Weekly. Used with permission.

Gr K-4 This delightful picture-book biography of the environmentalist has engaging illustrations and accessible, succinct prose. When Wangari Maathai was growing up in Kenya, the land was covered with trees. But on returning to her homeland from America, where she was educated on scholarship, she discovered a hot, dry, barren land, stripped of the trees she loved as a child. Starting in her own backyard, Maathai planted trees and encouraged other women to do the same. More than 30 million trees have since been planted by the members of her Green Belt Movement. Maathai was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2004 in recognition of her work. The acrylic illustrations have a warm folk-art influence. The pictures are both literal and symbolic, and framed in complementary lines of color. An author's note and a quote from Maathai are included. This book would be a superb choice for read-alouds or assignments."Melissa Christy Buron, Epps Island Elementary, Houston, TX" Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"The tightly focused text moves quickly without sacrificing impact . . . Winter's images appear in framed, same-size squares on each page, creating a flat, frieze-like effect that pays off as Wangari's movement grows and the activities within each frame multiply—a powerful demonstration of Wangari's work."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This delightful picture-book biography of the environmentalist has engaging illustrations and accessible, succinct prose. . . . This book would be a superb choice for read-alouds or assignments."—School Library Journal, starred review

"The compact story does offer a way into one of our less-limned Nobel Prize winners, and with adults to fill the gaps in, this could be an appealing introcduction."—The Bulletin

"The ethics and outcome of the tale are not forced on the reader. Rather, it is told very gently—like any good story—and is brightly illustrated."—The Georgia Straight

"Award-winning writer and illustrator Jeanette Winter's clear text and bold paintings (right) make it easy to imagine the story of Maathai and the women of the Green Belt Movement she started."—American Scientist

" . . . beautifully illustrated and simply written for young children."—Sacramento Bee

"Jeanette Winter's singular illustrative style is recognizable by the organic patterns and lively pastel hues . . . Scenes of crouching women planting tiny saplings . . . and, later, images of lush, bird-filled forests . . . celebrate [Maathai's] powerful vision."—Audubon

Smithsonian Magazine, Best Books of the Year 2008