Book Review by Brian Sheehan
Reprinted from the Summer 2000 Southern AEOE Newsletter
“ Dear Children of the Earth...”. So begins a remarkable letter from Mother Earth asking for help from children everywhere. She writes to express her love for each and every child and asks for their love and appreciation in return.
The story is written in a letter form with incredibly beautiful and vivid watercolor and oil paintings that bring power and “ah” to the story. Students fall in love with the artwork. In the letter, Mother Earth shares how important and beautiful each of her children are, both humans and animals alike. The Earth shares that it is very important for each and every person to stop doing things that hurt the Earth and her animals. She reminds us, her children, that there is only one Home, but there are billions of people. When each person does a little something to help Mother Earth, it makes a very big and good difference.
Imagine what life would be like with no wild animals living on the Earth. What if no birds were left to sing? What if there were no elephants in Africa? No grizzly bears in the United States? Wouldn’t you be lonely?
Mother Earth asks her children two questions: “Now what do you think is the biggest, most important thing you can do to help me? What do I need more than anything else in the world?” Have the students sharewhat the Earth needs from us. What can each of us do to take care of our only Habitat? It is powerful and thought-provoking.
Mother Earth shares that she needs us to love her. That’s all. When we love our Home, we care for it. When we care for Mother Earth, we will protect her. And when we care for her and protect her, we will save our Home and the habitats of our sister and brother animals. Mother Earth encourages us to tell our friends and other people what she has shared with us. We only have one Home and she always knows when we do things to help her.
As we come to the close of another school year, this treasure is a great piece of children’s environmental literature that outdoor educators can close with at the end of each week. Challenge students to do everything they can to love, protect, and care for their Earth. As a classroom teacher now, I use this celebration book every time we clean our school grounds or have a beach clean-up day. Everything each of us does makes a difference. A very good difference.
There is a sequel that just came out last year. Children of the Earth... Remember, by Schim Schimmel (ISBN# 1-55971-640-1). continue the lesson of sharing and protecting our late great Home, Mother Earth.
And when dolphins play, people remember. When birds sing, people remember. When deer dance, people remember. And when people remember, they love.