There are many ways to talk about the environment in children’s books. As Earth Day approaches, here is a selection of recent titles that show nature differently.
The cicada, Gervais by his first name, “having sung all summer, found himself very deprived when the wind came”. As in La Fontaine’s fable, the poor creature asks for help from its neighbor the ant. Instead of suggesting that she dance, the latter insists on teaching her everything about the plants that surround them. We then follow this improbable duo in funny adventures through which we learn about the flora here. A documentary, presented in the form of a comic strip, as entertaining as it is enriching.
“A third of the food produced in the world is thrown away. […] As if you baked 12 cookies… and that you sent 4 still steaming in the trash. So begins the documentary Opération mange-gardiens, which seeks to raise awareness among young people about food waste. Because even if all the actors in the food circuit have their share of responsibility, as the first chapter of the book demonstrates, children and their families can also limit losses. Nearly twenty tips are also suggested to act against this problem.
Did you know that ragweed pollen can travel 200 km? That there are all-white plants, including the one-flowered monotrope? That the fetid symplocarp stands out for…its stench? Through 20 amazing questions, like “Can plants eat meat?” », author Pierre-Alexandre Bonin introduces children to just as many Quebec plants. A book to consult before the next walk in the forest.
Animals wake up in a “little…wet” town! If at first few of them pay attention to this strange flood, quickly bears, lions, monkeys and other beasts realize that they must unite to find a solution to this huge problem. A beautifully illustrated fable on climate change that will appeal to young and old alike.
