We are all well aware by now, I think, of the devastating consequences
of our misuse of the land, water, air, and resources that support life on our home planet,
the ill-considered behaviors that have led to extinction,
massive habitat loss, the flattening of biodiversity,
toxic pollution, and life-threatening climate change.
These problems are producing enormous anxiety in not only adults, but also the youth and children who are inheriting the mess we have made.
Change can certainly come as a result of hearing dire news,
but sustained momentum comes from hope, not despair;
and hope is the message-of-the-hour from the brilliant scientists and conscientious activists
who are leading us to a better future.
Therefore on this Earth Day, I’ve chosen books highlighting hope.
Stewarding Earth’s resources is gladsome work;
tuning into the nature, making efforts that contribute to better living conditions for all,
brings healing to our hearts and souls and bodies.
Here are a few stories I hope inspire you to join hands
with those seeking the restoration of a thriving planet.
Angela’s Glacier
written by Jordan Scott, illustrated by Diana Sudyka
published in 2024 by Neal Porter Books, Holiday House
This is, perhaps, an unusual recommendation for Earth Day, but it’s a story that connects the dots beautifully between the natural world and our deep sense of well-being.
Angela grows up in Iceland in a small town nestled at the base of a massive, blue glacier named Snæfellsjökull. (And yes, a pronunciation guide for that bit of alphabet soup is provided!) Beginning in her infant days, and continuing through all her growing-up years, Angela loves to visit the glacier, be immersed in the icy, breezy expanse, and, by putting her ear to the ice, listen to the gentle sounds of that frozen world. It becomes like a friend to her, a calming, grounding friend.
With age and responsibilities, Angela’s excursions into the glacial wilderness stop. After some time, her heart feels a bit empty. Her dad’s advice is to pay a visit to the glacier, and there, sure enough, amid the hush and wind, the tiny gurgles and wild beauty, Angela finds rejuvenation.
Diana Sudyka’s gorgeous artwork brings these Icelandic landscapes to life brilliantly in this gentle beckoning to stillness and connection with nature. A lovely story for ages 4 and up with an extensive afterword from the real Angela.
Black Beach: A Community, an Oil Spill, and the Origin of Earth Day
written by Shaunna and John Stith, illustrated by Maribel Lechuga
published in 2023 by Little Bee Books
I’m old enough to remember the first Earth Day, in the spring of 1970. The story of how it came about is a great example of moving from despair to hope. It all started with a senator from Wisconsin and a horrific oil spill in California.
In January, 1969, a massive underwater “blowout” occurred beneath Union Oil’s platform, off shore from Santa Barbara. As the black, sticky oil spread a tarry blanket over ocean and shoreline, coating the wings of seabirds and destroying marine habitats, the community in Santa Barbara and a team of scientists desperately worked to stave off some of the damage, while televised images of the disaster shocked people across the country.
The devastation was enough to galvanize Washington politicians led by Gaylord Nelson. Plans were launched for a nationwide celebration of the environment as well as a protest against forces which were causing its demise — the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970. Follow one young girl from Santa Barbara through all of these events and be inspired by the information in the end pages to take your own place in efforts to help heal our environment. Ages 4 or 5 and up.
Little Land
written and illustrated by Diana Sudyka
published in 2023 by Little, Brown and Company
Here’s the second book on today’s list from illustrator Diana Sudyka, whose art I adore and whose love of nature has inspired much of her work. This lavishly illustrated book takes the story of our relationship with nature all the way back to prehistory and traces it through to today.
Humans do not stand outside of nature; we are very much a part of the natural world. The land, water, and air sustains us, as do the plants that these elements nurture. For eons, these forces were held in balance, ever changing, sometimes slow as a glacier’s creep, sometimes as abruptly as a massive earthquake, but always reestablishing a healthy equilibrium.
Humans, however, rapidly made changes and precipitated more changes at an unsustainable pace for the rest of the natural world to autocorrect. Thus we have reached a tipping point; we must make corrections in order to give nature a chance to restore these intricate, precious, vital balances.
In minimal words, coupled with her brilliant, colorful artwork and inventive page designs, Sudyka ushers us through this entire sweep of history and leaves us in a place of glorious hope and renewal. I love this book for ages 4 and up.
A River’s Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn
written by Patricia Newman, illustrated by Natasha Donovan
published in 2023 by Millbrook Press
The Elwha River in Washington State was, for time out of mind, the spawning site for salmon. Thrashing their way up waterfalls to lay millions of eggs in the calm, upstream waters, salmon provided food for a surprisingly large array of animals and Native peoples. Even as the salmon died after their journey, their bodies fed the soil, and thus enriched the forests near the river. A wondrous, healthy ecosystem nourished one and all.
Beginning in 1890, a series of dams were built on the river to create hydroelectric power. The unintended impacts of those dams on both the Native people and the entire ecosystem were devastating. One hundred years later, through efforts by the Native community and environmental groups, the decision was made to remove the dams and allow environmental restoration to take place.
Alongside the lyric narrative of this successful restoration story, colorful graphic insets explain the life cycle of the salmon, how dams work, the rigorous process of removing dams, and more. End pages include a timeline with photographs of the site. Bold, colorful, stylish illustrations immerse us in this habitat and at times identify some of the plants and animals comprising the scenes. It’s a graceful, hopeful, educational account for ages 7 and up.
When the Storks Came Home
written by Isabella Tree, illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey
published in 2022 by Ivy Kids, Quarto Publishing
Here’s another happy-ending restoration project, this time bringing storks back to West Sussex in the UK.
When we visited my daughter, who lived for several years in a small town in Germany, storks were nesting on the roofs. It was a glory to see these enormous birds in their nests made of a mess of sticks, and listen to them clacking their great beaks.
Storks formerly made their home in Great Britain as well but vanished due to hunters pursuing their feathers. In this fictionalized account of a real-life project, a young girl named Beanie teams up with her community to ingeniously lure storks back to the village. It’s a cheery story, with lovely, warm illustrations. An afterword relates the real “reintroduction” project along with photographs of the storks. Great little ray of hope for ages 4 and up.
And hey, if you become enamored with storks, you might just fall in love with a classic novel my kids and I adore, The Wheel on the School, by Meindert DeJong. Find my review of that here.
Finally, here are two compendiums, each of which is plum full of restoration and rewilding efforts:
Return of the Wild: 20 of Nature’s Greatest Success Stories
written by Helen Scales, illustrated by Good Wives and Warriors
published in 2023by Laurence King
64 pages
This volume is dominated by gorgeous, lush, colorful artwork and each account of a successful restoration project is quite brief, making it a good choice for young listeners.
The array of animals and plants highlighted from around the globe is fascinating.
The final few pages contain tiny biographical sketches of Nature Champions from around the world. I loved this emphasis on international and indigenous heroes. The author’s final suggestions for helping the wild world are also important and attainable for young children.
Suggested age for enjoying this alongside an adult reader – 8 years.
Rewilding: Bringing Wildlife Back Where it Belongs
written by David A. Steen, illustrated by Chiara Fedele
published in 2022 by Neon Squid
80 pages
Geared for slightly older readers, this book takes a more nuanced tone, honestly discussing difficulties with rewilding and celebrating successes, even if they are only partial successes.
Steen surveys a wide array of animal rewilding projects, bringing animals who had become extinct in the wild, back into their original homes. Animals featured range from parrots to wolves, otters to beetles, in homeplaces from the mists of Tanzanian waterfalls to the plains of Mongolia and the meadows of England.
Along the way, pages devoted to adjacent topics explain what rewilding entails, why species disappear, what ecosystems are, what criticisms are voiced about rewilding, how success is measured, and how being a “charismatic species” impacts efforts. A great deal of good information is succinctly, clearly sandwiched in here!
Beautifully illustrated, this is a book that could be read independently by ages 12 and up, but could easily be read aloud with ages 7 and up.
Now is the time to make serious care of our planet a top priority, and the wondrous thing is, that as we bring healing to the damaged elements of nature, nature returns the favor to us tenfold.
You can find many more excellent books celebrating nature and those spending their lives on understanding, protecting, and restoring it, on my list here.
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