Bright New World: How to Make a Happy Planet

Gr 3-6--Have you ever wondered about the future of our planet? This book posits ideas on how to make our world more sustainable for the future. It explores every topic, from greenhouse gases to clean fuels to the rainforests, among others. Conservation heroes are featured throughout and include people who have started green companies or famous conservationists and feminists, such as Malala Yousafzai, Greta Thunberg, and Sir David Attenborough. There are also bubbles on some pages that prompt children to think about what they can do to help the planet. Each section also features quotes by kids from the future about how life on Earth is "now" and how it compares with the "past." The illustrations are beautiful and feature futuristic scenes with animals, compelling architecture, and an inclusive sampling of people of diverse cultures from all around the world. The writing can be clunky and inconsistent. British spellings and measurements are mostly used, but sometimes an American spelling or measurement is implemented instead. Also included are an index and a section on how to make the future greener. However, there is no bibliography or resource. VERDICT The text's shortcomings make this an additional purchase for libraries looking to beef up conservation sections.--Kristin J. Anderson

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

In Cindy Forde's environmentalist manifesto Bright New World, Earth's perilous situation fades in comparison to
vibrant, sustainable possibilities.
We already know how to create a "world where all life can flourish," Forde contends. She invites young readers on a
tour of an imagined positive future with built-in solutions to climate change, including biodegradable fashions,
regenerative farming, and magnet-driven public transportation. Human ingenuity, social justice, and cooperation could
make this utopia a reality, the book suggests.
Addressing topics both cosmic and nitty-gritty, this is a thorough, honest presentation of the manifold challenges
posed by the climate crisis. Its two-page spreads are busy and colorful, incorporating a mixture of diagrams, tableaux,
simplified charts, and text boxes. There are novel formats such as "Not Wanted" posters for greenhouse gases and a
graph turned into a roller coaster. Participation is promoted through reflection questions and lists of what individuals
can do in their daily lives to work toward a better future.
Although some of the proposed technologies—airships, 3d-printed buildings, and smart cities—still seem like the stuff
of science fiction, the book gives plentiful examples of how its ideas have already been put to practical use. Some
concepts, like the doughnut model of economics, are advanced for the target age range, though.
Forde emphasizes the specific roles that girls and women can play in a climate-friendly future, with Greta Thunberg
and Malala Yousafzai held up as heroes. Equality of access to education often leads to women choosing to have
fewer children, she notes, so parity will also address overpopulation. Bethany Lord's illustrations are diverse, and
Indigenous people like Chief Raoni, who campaigned for a rain forest reserve in Brazil, are prominent within them.
Ideal for clued-in children and younger teenagers, Bright New World responds to environmental problems with an
ambitious program for green action. — ForeWord Reviews