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NONFICTION
All the water in the world
By George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson, Atheneum Books for Young Readers
This stunning book of collage, watercolour and word art tells a poetic tale of where water comes from and why we must preserve it: “All the water in the world… is all the water in the world.” With beautiful, carefully chosen language (“Thirsty air licks it from lakes/ spits it from ponds /guzzles it from oceans…”) and pages that force the reader to turn the book on angles and even on its side, the authors urge us not to take water —or the Earth —for granted.
Can you hear the trees talking? Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest
By Peter Wollheben, translated by Shelley Tanaka, Greystone Kids
This young reader’s edition of The Hidden Life of Trees, an international bestseller by forester and author Peter Wollheben, explores how trees communicate with each other. Using anthropomorphism—he describes “tree classrooms,” “mother trees” and “annoyed” birches—he brings the forest to life. There are quizzes and sidebars, tons of stats and pictures and a strong message about our responsibility to preserve and foster healthy forests—both urban and otherwise.
Deep Roots: How Trees Sustain Our Planet
By Nikki Tate, Orca Books
The Orca Footprints series about environmental issues are invariably excellent, and Deep Roots is no exception. With lots of powerful photographs, fun facts and tree stories from around the world, Tate provides kids insight into how trees affect our daily lives, history, culture and how they’re in turn affected by pollution, climate change and deforestation. Sidebars titled “Try this!” suggest ideas like slathering a pine cone with peanut butter, stringing it up in front of the window and watching the birds come to dine.
The drop in my drink: the story of water on our planet
By Meredith Hooper, illustrated by Chris Coady, Lincoln Children’s Books, 2015
A classic reissued. Hooper traces the journey of a single drop of water through time and space and geography. By showing the water cycle in all its complexity, its interaction with living and inanimate things, Hooper hammers home the reality of water as a finite resource.
Every Last Drop
By Michelle Mulder, Orca Footprints
Chock-full of fascinating information, Every Last Drop is an excellent nonfiction primer that focuses less on science and more on the social importance of water and how kids everywhere are finding ways to conserve and preserve it. From highlighting catching fog in Chile to using playground teeter totters to pump water in Colombia, Mulder does an excellent job of engaging kids by making clear that water is precious.
Nature All Around: Trees
By Pamela Hickman, illustrated by Carolyn Gavin, Kids Can Press
Part of the Nature All Around series (which include Bugs and this spring’s upcoming Plants), this beautifully illustrated resource is aimed at kids 7-10 and takes an age-appropriate look at the science of trees, their life cycle, photosynthesis and respiration, leaf types and more. It will help young tree lovers identify different species around their homes and offers ideas about how kids can help protect endangered trees. Hickman uses sidebars and lists to keep the text lively and the information accessible.
Nya’s Long Walk
By Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Brian Pinkney, Clarion Books
On the way home from fetching water, Nya’s little sister Akeer starts to feel ill. She gets worse and worse until Nya, who’s not much older, has to carry both her and the water. Step by slow, difficult step, they make their way home in this gripping story that will have kids on the edge of their seata. Coretta Scott King–award winner Brian Pinkney’s lovely, retro illustrations have an energy and momentum that carry this moving story along.
One Well: The Story of Water on Earth
By Rochelle Strauss, illustrated by Rosemary Woods, Kids Can Press
Kids are asked to think of all the water in the world as coming from the same well in this comprehensive text filled with stats and interesting information. We are all connected and how one place or person handles water affects everyone: “Water has the power to change everything,” Strauss writes. “Every drop counts.” Excellent for reports and water basics.
The Water Walker
Written and illustrated by Joanne Robertson, Second Story Press
The inspiring true story of Nokomis Josephine Mandamin, an Ojibwe grandmother from Northern Ontario who walked around all of the Great Lakes in order to inspire people everywhere to protect and cherish the water (nibi). Carrying a copper pail of water and a staff with a bald eagle on it, she and her fellow Water Walkers set out in all kinds of weather, singing and sharing their message that water gives life and must be respected.
The Wisdom of Trees: how trees work together to form a natural kingdom
Written and illustrated by Lita Judge, Roaring Brook Press
This comprehensive nonfiction book looks at the ways trees communicate with one another, including deep underground using the “wood wide web,” through nurturing younger trees and helping the oldest ones in the forest. Author/illustrator Lita Judge pairs her deep research with poems in which she imagines what the trees might say if our words were their language. Extensive backmatter offers even more information to curious tree lovers.
Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius: A True Story about an Amazing Swimmer
By Lynne Cox; illustrated by Richard Jones, Anne Schwartz Books
Yoshi is a loggerhead sea turtle who starts out “the size of a smile” and makes an incredible journey from northwestern Australia to Africa, encountering other creatures, sea currents and, finally, a fishing net, which lodges around his neck. A Japanese fisherman rescues her and takes her to an aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa, where Yoshi spends over 20 years, amazing people, and growing to the size of a lion. But that’s not where this beautifully illustrated (think Brian Wildsmith meets Leo Lionni) true story ends. Yoshi trains with the aquarium staff, learning to swim long distances and is eventually sent back to the ocean, her natural home. With the world watching, she begins swimming back to Australia, mating along the way, and eventually makes it home to lay eggs on the very beach where she was born. A stunningly beautiful and moving ode to our endangered oceans and the extraordinary creatures that make their home there.