Champions of the Earth
Seven Naturalists of Note
Joy Fleishhacker, Curriculum Connections -- School Library Journal, 4/10/2008
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Celebrate Earth Day (April 22) by introducing elementary students to imaginative, perceptive, and steadfast individuals who explored and observed the natural world, shared their passion for its wonders through paintings and prose, revealed the importance of protecting wild places, and spearheaded conservation efforts. Combining spectacular artwork with eloquent narrative, these books highlight the accomplishments of seven influential naturalists and provide inspiration for Earth’s future caretakers.
America’s First Naturalist
Deborah Kogan Ray’s stately paintings and descriptive text describe William Bartram (1739-1823), a botanist, artist, and writer who traversed the American wilderness collecting seeds, studying specimens, and sketching flora and fauna. Beginning with William’s eighth birthday and spanning through adulthood, The Flower Hunter (Farrar, 2004) features fictional first-person diary entries underscoring his unquenchable curiosity about nature.
A Keen Observer and Impassioned Painter
Having just arrived in Pennsylvania from France, 18-year-old John James Audubon (1785-1851) found much to fuel his interest in ornithology. After studying a nest of pewee flycatchers, he hatched a clever plan to solve a perplexing mystery: do the same birds return in the spring? Jacqueline Davies’s enchanting The Boy Who Drew Birds (Houghton, 2004), illustrated with Melissa Sweet’s delightfully detailed collages, documents this early example of bird banding and conveys the young man’s enthusiasm.
Robert Burleigh portrays the painter’s passion in an imaginary letter, purportedly penned by Audubon to his father, explaining his reasons for rejecting a shopkeeper’s life and instead following his heart Into the Woods (S & S, 2003). Eloquent rhyming couplets are paired with entries from Audubon’s journals, and Wendell Minor’s lush watercolors are supplemented by the naturalist’s lifelike paintings.
Henry David's House (Schnur) © 2002
On Walden Pond
by Peter Fiore
Culling quotes from Henry David Thoreau’s (1817-1862) Walden, editor Steven Schnur invites readers into Henry David’s House (Charlesbridge, 2002). The excerpts focus on the philosopher’s construction of his famed one-room cabin and his awe-filled observations of the changing seasons, providing an accessible entrée to Thoreau’s views about nature. Peter Fiore’s dazzling paintings portray this contemplative man, his back-to-basics lifestyle, and his breathtakingly beautiful surroundings.
D. B. Johnson’s Henry Hikes to Fitchburg (Houghton, 2000) communicates Thoreau’s ideas with simplicity, style, and humor. While his friend works at odd jobs to earn train fare to Fitchburg, Henry cheerfully strolls the 30-mile distance, stopping to explore and enjoy nature along the way. Spring-hued illustrations depicting bears in 19th-century garb parallel the two journeys. Share this fun philosophical fable and launch discussions about different approaches to life and the significance of stopping to smell the daisies.
Ground-Breaking Conservationists
In a beguiling picture book biography (Candlewick, 2006), Kathryn Lasky presents John Muir (1838-1914), an intrepid individual who always walked his own path (literally—across countless miles of American landscape) and used his powerful pen to preserve the wilderness he cherished. A lyrical narrative, quotes form Muir’s journals, and Stan Fellows’s color-drenched paintings recount thrilling escapades and evoke this conservationist’s zeal.
Julie Dunlap and Marybeth Lorbiecki describe how John Muir and Stickeen (NorthWord, 2004) shared an edge-of-your-seat Alaskan adventure. Muir scoffed at the idea of a friend’s silky-haired pup coming along on an 1880 expedition to investigate glaciers. However, when man and dog were marooned on the ice during a storm, the pooch’s lion-hearted bravery caused Muir to see Stickeen with fresh eyes. Riveting text and Bill Farnsworth’s dramatic paintings re-create this true-life occurrence.
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Midnight Forests (Hines) © 2005 by Robert Casilla |
Modern-Day Visionaries
Amy Ehrlich’s Rachel (Harcourt, 2003) paints a vivid, often poetic portrait of Rachel Carson (1907-1964), showcasing pivotal moments in her life, from her mind-opening discovery of a fossil as a child to the publication of Silent Spring. Minor’s majestic paintings depict Carson through the years and portray scenic landscapes.
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Planting the Trees of Kenya (Nivola) © 2008 by Claire Nivola |
Kids Can Make a Difference
Ready to take conservation concepts to the next level? These titles will inform and empower a new generation of environmentalists and provide ideas for independent study and classroom projects. Laurie David and Cambria Gordon’s Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming (Scholastic, 2007) uses clear, chatty text to explain scientific concepts, discuss the phenomenon’s effects, and propose ideas for implementing change. Lorbiecki’s 
upbeat Planet Patrol: A Kids’ Action Guide to Earth Care (Two-Can, 2005) mixes information with activities, suggestions, and success stories. This colorfully illustrated volume demonstrates that youngsters’ efforts do pay off and encourages a take-charge attitude.
Kathleen M. Reilly’s Planet Earth: 25 Environmental Projects You Can Build Yourself (Nomad, 2008) presents background material and easy-to-replicate activities that focus on the basic elements of the natural world and environmental issues. Rebecca Olien’s excellent Kids Care!: 75 Ways to Make a Difference for People, Animals & the Environment (Williamson, 2007) is filled with inviting activities and simple “acts of caring,” and includes a section on organizing a community-wide—or global—initiative.
For a cornucopia of books that introduce young naturalists to topics ranging from plants and ponds to butterflies and birds, read Joy Fleischhacker's "Wild Things," which appeared in the Spring 2008 print version of Curriculum Connections.
