"'The earth was naked. For me the mission was to try to cover it with green.'"
Ages: 3 - 9
Grade Level: Preschool - 3
Location: Kenya, Africa
Pages: 32
Time Period: late 1900s
“Where are the trees?” Wangari Maathai wonders when she returns from studying in America to her home country, Kenya. Where once a tall and lush forest stood was a barren land. Maathai sees how the disappearance of these majestic trees negatively impacts those that are left behind and decides to do something about it. She begins with “…one tree at a time.” Wangari’s Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter introduces young readers to this environmentalist and shows how “… one woman’s passion, vision, and determination can inspire change.”
This is a wonderful picture book about how one inspiring individual started what would become known as the Green Belt Movement. Maathai began her work in her own backyard, and it eventually spread out to the rest of her country. Even when faced with violent opposition, she realizes that, “right is right, even if you’re alone.” The “Author’s Note” in the back summarizes Maathai’s biography in greater detail.
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Content Warnings
Content that some individuals may find controversial or objectionable. Attention was given to include content which may offend people of a particular culture, race or religion and details which the sensitive child may find unsettling or troublesome.
"No Spoilers" offers a summary of content issues while avoiding spoilers. "With Spoilers" lists the potential content issues in detail.
In Summary (No Spoilers):
Brief mention of sexism and violence. A couple of images show a little bit of blood.
In Detail (Spoilers):
Past Philosophies and Ideologies
Some opposition Wangari and her helpers (mostly women) face is sexism. Some government men declare that “Women can’t do this.”
Violence
The text mentions that Maathai is beaten for protesting deforestation.
There are two images side by side that depict Wangari Maathai with a cut on her forehead that is slightly bleeding. One of those images has her being pursued by a policeman.
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