One Earth: People of Color Protecting Our Planet

In this series of profiles, Rao, a conservation biologist who notes that "at work, I've usually been the only one with a brown face," centers the stories of 20 environmental activists, all people of color. Rao's prose is plain, but the activists' stories are extraordinary, from Dipani Sutaria's quest to encourage the study and protection of India's Irrawaddy dolphins, to Ghanimat Azhdari's use of mapping as a tool for empowering Iran's nomadic tribes, to Lucassie Arragutainaq's work using traditional Inuit and Cree knowledge in environmental assessments. Throughout, the activists' culture and backgrounds are presented as invaluable assets that have given them authority to act and the ability to bridge differences. Photographs, facts, and calls to action enliven the text; bolded terms ("social justice," "unceded") appear in a glossary. Taken together, it's a powerful answer to Rao's framing questions: "Who is an environmental defender? What does she or he look like? Maybe like you. Maybe like me." Ages 12-up. (Apr.)

Gr 5-8--The author, a Canadian-born conservation biologist of Indian and Indigenous descent, uses her background as a source of knowledge and strength to defend Earth from harmful and destructive practices. Rao highlights 20 other people of color who are actively working to protect or restore various parts of the environment--wildlife, soil, water quality, forests, and other elements. Each person explains how their identity (race, language, culture, etc.) gives them a strong knowledge or background to address their environmental issue. The text mentions several Indigenous people from North and South America working to protect Native land and waters. By profiling 20 people in less than 200 pages, the book is a little choppy. There are few transitions between people and categories. Some biographies abruptly end, leaving the reader to wonder if the person has been successful or not. Nonetheless, it is refreshing to read of these activists' enthusiasm and determination to change our physical world for the better. VERDICT For larger libraries or libraries looking to expand their potential career offerings, this is a good choice to show how anyone can defend our world.--Lisa Crandall, formerly at the Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI