Earth Day is every day. In fact, it's been going on for much longer than the official proclamation of an Earth Day. As you'll discover, it's been going on for not just years but decades. Centuries, even. This book gives reference to more than just the happenings and reactions to an official Earth Day but takes us back to see where the idea of taking care of the earth we live on began.
I won't try to summarize the history of the goal of saving the earth, obviously, but will say that Messner does her usual excellent job of combining fact, humor, and thought provoking bits of information and comments throughout. While I can't claim to have read the entire series, this one differed from some recent ones I've read in that it seems to be more wide-ranging. By that I mean it covers a vast array of time and place. We may think of Earth Day as a single event but its beginnings were wide spread and its impact felt for centuries before someone got around to making it an official day. I have Native American roots and was delighted to see their role given attention. Also, as someone who has always been fascinated by the Mayan culture, the reminder that the terraces and reservoirs that were used by the Maya people were some of the most visible means of cultivating our earth's resources while helping protect them for the long term, too. And these efforts are simply the tip of the iceberg.
Bottom line, there is a great deal of info to be digested here as well as suggestions on how we as both individuals and groups can preserve our world for future generations. I mean, maybe you'd like to go live on barren Mars but I think I'll stick to good ol' planet Earth. Messner's writing style flows nicely and is easy to understand and digest. Even better, she documents her sources and there are lots of both fun and informative illustrations to help readers grasp what they are reading. The ample use of sidebars and color helps. There is certainly more to see, read, and learn. Thanks #RandomHoouseChildren's books for sharing this early copy with me. The retired teacher in me thoroughly enjoyed it and, yes, learned more than a few things.
No comments:
Post a Comment