(ThyBlackMan.com) Caring for the environment is very important. When children are young in school they tend to learn about plants and living things. It is a wonder to them to plant a seed, tend to it, and watch it grown. Granted the connection between the life of the plant and their life is often missed in the explanation. They tend to know the part about being able to eat what they grown…but there is more to the connection. Over time children become adults that have forgotten the wonder of nature as a whole. The trees are fixtures, and they might even look cool and have wonderful flowers. However, the connection isn’t quite made that without these trees breathing would become a problem.
“‘We are not just trees’, came the voice of the baobab, ‘We hold the earth together. We are the link between heaven and earth. We give the earth air that humans breathe. We make the environment stable. We have great healing powers. We are older than the human race.’ “
Ben Okri, in a beautifully narrated and illustrated, is telling our children a wonderful story about the importance of trees and preserving out forest. The story is told through the main character, which is a child, making the book relatable to kids of all ages. The personification is magical, and if your child is learning about parts of a story in school this is a great book to consider for accelerated reading.
“Every part of me is useful. My leaves and bark produce healing medicine. My fruits are nutritious. My roots cure many known and unknown diseases. My shade gives peace and repels evil. A tree is just like a human, you know. We are each very different.”
The beauty of this book is, as it is talking to children…it is reteaching the adults also. We are reminded that environmental preservation is a responsibility we must own if we want the best for our children. As we want them to have a great life, we must take an active part in healing the earth or everything else could be in vain.
“This is the Amazon, the biggest tree graveyard in the world. May years ago this place had forests so vast they filled a continent. They helped the earth to survive, but they have been burning and cutting down the trees at such a terrible rate that there is almost no forest left.”
I highly recommend this book as a conversation starter about the importance of nature. It is an opportunity to build upon the natural wonder children experience when they initially begin to learn about nature. It can encourage them to want to grow plants and trees, care for them, and advocate for the forest preservation.
“Yes, humans beings need trees. When they cut down forests they are cutting down your future.”
There are more than enough ways to generate revenue. We don’t have to be greedy as adults in our quest for wealth. This book is a remind of that point, and it can help teach that balance to children. Furthermore, there is an underlining lesson of valuing the resources you need. It isn’t okay to destroy a thing…then demand it to help you. This is a lesson that doesn’t just apply to nature, but even so how we treat people. This is a wonderful book that will generate great family discussion.
“Every Leaf a Hallelujah” can be found at your local bookstore, Amazon, and anywhere books are sold
“You humans seem to think that we trees are just decoration. But we are beings like you. We feel. We respond to love and attention. You should see how we grow when we are loved.”
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.
