Wangari's Trees of Peace

Starred review from August 11, 2008
Wangari Maathai, the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner whose Green Belt Movement has planted 30 million trees in Kenya, is the subject of Winter’s (The Librarian of Basra
) eloquent picture biography. Much like Claire Nivola’s recent Planting the Trees of Kenya
, this work, for a slightly younger audience, introduces Wangari as a child, “liv under an umbrella of green trees in the shadow of Mount Kenya.” The tightly focused text moves quickly without sacrificing impact. Wangari earns a scholarship to study in the U.S., and when she returns after six years, she’s stunned—setting down her luggage in a veritable wasteland, extending her palms as if imploring someone to answer her unspoken questions: “What has happened?
... Where are the trees?
”She plants seedlings in her own backyard—a small start that eventually inspires thousands of others (and, perhaps, the reader) to emulate her. Winter’s images appear in framed, same-size squares on each page, creating a flat, frieze-like effect that pays off as Wangari’s movement grows and the activities within each frame multiply—a powerful demonstration of Wangari’s work. Ages 3–7.

Starred review from November 1, 2008
K-Gr 4-This delightful picture-book biography of the environmentalist has engaging illustrations and accessible, succinct prose. When Wangari Maathai was growing up in Kenya, the land was covered with trees. But on returning to her homeland from America, where she was educated on scholarship, she discovered a hot, dry, barren land, stripped of the trees she loved as a child. Starting in her own backyard, Maathai planted trees and encouraged other women to do the same. More than 30 million trees have since been planted by the members of her Green Belt Movement. Maathai was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2004 in recognition of her work. The acrylic illustrations have a warm folk-art influence. The pictures are both literal and symbolic, and framed in complementary lines of color. An author's note and a quote from Maathai are included. This book would be a superb choice for read-alouds or assignments."Melissa Christy Buron, Epps Island Elementary, Houston, TX"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2008
Grades 1-3 Like Claire A. Nivolas Planting the Trees of Kenya (2008), this powerful picture-book biography introduces Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. As in Nivolas title, Winter follows her charismatic subject from her rural Kenyan childhood to her adult life as the founder of the Green Belt Movement, which has profoundly improved her countrys health and economy. Winter distills Maathais inspirational story into spare words and images. As inher other similarly formatted picture books, such as The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq (2005), Winters acrylic paintings employ rich, opaque hues and elemental shapes that illustrate specific details while conveying a broader sense of her subjects remarkable influence. An authors note fills in biographical facts, but children may still have questions about specific events, such as the violent protest battles that leave Maathai bloodied. Paired with Nivolas slightly more comprehensive approach, this title offers a welcome introduction to Maathais awe-inspiring work and to the subject of activism in general.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2009
This picture book biography celebrates Wangari Maathai, Nobel Prize-winning environmentalist and founder of Kenya's Green Belt Movement. Winter's lyrical main text gives readers a sense of the woman ("Wangari lives under an umbrella of green trees..."); an appended author's note is more factual. The accompanying brightly patterned and cleanly composed acrylic illustrations beautifully display Maathai's spirit and determination.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)