Dr. Wangari Maathai Plants a Forest: A Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls Chapter Book (Rebel Girls Chapter Books)

by Eugenia Rebel Girls

Mello (Illustrator)

From the world of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls comes a historical novel based on the life of Dr. Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist and environmentalist from Kenya.



Wangari lives in the lush, green, land of rural Kenya where the soil is perfect for planting, the trees tower into the sky, and the streams are full of mysterious creatures. All day, she plays beneath her favorite fig tree, and at night she gathers around the fire with her family to listen to her mother's stories.



Then Wangari grows up and goes away to school, and things start changing at home. Farmers chop down the trees. Landslides bury the stream. The soil becomes overworked and dry, and nothing will grow. People go hungry. After all her studies, Dr. Wangari Maathai realizes there is a simple solution to these problems: plant a forest full of trees.



Dr. Wangari Maathai Plants a Forest is the story of environmentalist and activist Dr. Wangari Maathai, who became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. It's also a story about the importance of making your voice heard, and using that voice to protect the natural world.



This historical fiction chapter book includes additional text on Dr. Wangari Maathai's lasting legacy, as well as educational activities designed to encourage caring for the planet and believing in the power of one.



About the Rebel Girls Chapter Book Series

Meet extraordinary real-life heroines in the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls chapter book series! Introducing stories based on the lives of extraordinary women in global history, each stunningly designed chapter book features beautiful illustrations from a female artist as well as bonus activities in the backmatter to encourage kids to explore the various fields in which each of these women thrived. The perfect gift to inspire any young reader!

• ISBN10: 1733329218
• ISBN13: 9781733329217
• Publish Date: 25 February 2020
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Rebel Girls Inc
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 128
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781733329217

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Dr. Wangari Maathai Plants a Forest is a is a biography of Nobel Prize winning environmentalist/activist Dr. Wangari Maathai aimed at middle grade readers. Due out 25 Feb 2020 from Rebel Girls, it's 128 pages and will be available in hardcover and audio formats.

This is a biography which is factually based but also has allowed some (unspecified) changes for narrative flow. I liked learning about her early life and struggles to pursue an education in colonial Africa as a girl from a rural and economically challenged area. She worked for her progresses and when she had failures and setbacks, she picked herself up and tried again. Strength and conviction are a recurring theme in her life and I respect her determination.

Stories with strong and believable female role models are important and welcome for boys and girls. This is a well told biography of a subject who might be unfamiliar to many readers. The art by Eugenia Mello is colorful and engaging and illustrates the story well.

Well done and worthwhile. This would be a superlative choice for classroom, school library, gift, or personal library.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.