Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai

Text, pictures, subject and pacing all contribute to the success of Nivolas ("Elisabeth") picture book biography of Wangari Maathai, the 2004 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. In the first pages, Wangari watches her mother in the garden; the pale mountains, blue sky and profusion of growing things testify to Kenyas primeval beauty. Educated at a Benedictine college in Kansas, Maathai returns to her native country to find the land stripped for commercial farming. Others sigh; she is galvanized. She stands among women whose colorful skirts belie their poverty, and she teaches them to plant trees. Not even Kenyas soldiers escape her campaign: You hold your guns... but what are you protecting? she demands. You should hold the gun in your right hand and a tree seedling in your left. Thirty million trees later, the soiland small farmsthrive again. Simultaneously childlike and sophisticated, Nivolas paintings have the detail of tapestry and the dignity of icons. The idea of restoring ruined land to its original beauty will fill readers of all ages with hope. Nivola makes children feel it is possible for anyone to change the course of history if they set their mind to it. An authors note provides additional biographical and political details. Ages 5-8. "(Apr.)" Copyright 2008 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Gr 2-4 Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement, was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. This simple story focuses on her conservation efforts, with little mention of her personal life and political struggles. Maathai studied biology in the United States in the early 1960s. When she returned to the newly independent Kenya five years later, she noticed that her country's natural resources were disappearing rapidly and that the people were growing poorer. She devised a strategy to reverse the desertification of Kenya by teaching women how to collect tree seeds and plant and nurture them. Since 1977, 30 million trees have been planted and her conservation lessons have moved across Africa and the world. The delicately detailed illustrations suit the equally low-key writing style. They effectively show the natural beauty of the landscape and convey the scope of the problems associated with deforestation. The artist is equally adept at portraying Wangari as she moves about the countryside and spreads her message among the people. This tale of civic responsibility, personal initiative, and conservation of natural resources is a timely one although it raises as many questions as it answers. An author's note provides a bit more background on Maathai's efforts. Add this to collections in need of easy materials on Kenya, conservation, or women leaders.

"Carol S. Surges, McKinley Elementary School, Wauwatosa, WI" Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Wangari's work, as so beautifully depicted in Planting the Trees of Kenya, will inspire people worldwide." —Pete Seeger

"The 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Wangari Maathai changed the world one seed at a time. Claire A. Nivola's lovely Planting the Trees of Kenya offers Maathai's story to a younger, wider audience. No child, and surely no library, ought to be without Planting the Trees of Kenya." —Boston Globe

"A stirring biography about her extraordinary life, with focus on courageous efforts to reforest Kenya and empower women." —The San Francisco Chronicle

"Simultaneously childlike and sophisticated...The idea of restoring ruined land to its original beauty will fill readers of all ages with hope." —Starred, Publishers Weekly

"Beautiful . . . The story of how each human and tree can make a difference will inspire young people, who will want to linger over the wide, double-page landscapes." —Starred, Booklist

"The delicately detailed illustrations suit the equally low-key writing style...This tale of civic responsibility, personal initiative, and conservation of natural resources is a timely one." —Starred, School Library Journal

"There's plenty to discover in the intricate pen-and-watercolor illustrations; the text is more detailed and will engage older children." —American Scientist

"Possesses a detailed, naive charm that beautifully explicates Maathai's social progress as she instructs women, schoolchildren and even prison inmates in the benefits of planting and nurturing trees...This impressive effort will resonate with children." —Kirkus Reviews

"As an illustrator, Nivola . . . creates absorbing, telltale images—sweeping views of the countryside with miniature human figures, in the manner of folk paintings . . . .The whole is as much a pleasure as an inspiration." —The Horn Book

"Claire Nivola gives us a wonderful story about Wangari Maathai, the winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and the founder of the Green Belt movement." —Rondi Brouwer, Blackwood & Brouwer, Kinderhook, NY

"Nivola's sotry delivers the idea that each of us can make a difference. Older readers will appreciate Nivola's detailed note about Maathai's life and her Green Belt Movement." —The Sacramento Bee

"Wangari Maathai's story is beautifully told, is just the right length for young readers, and boasts wonderful illustrations that capture the beauty of this African country." —Book Loons