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The MY HERO Project | Library

Planting Peace: The Story of Wangari Maathai

By Gwendolyn Hooks

Publisher: ‎Crocodile Books
ISBN: 9781526311405,
MY HERO recommends this book to children readers.

This is the inspiring story of Wangari Maathai was a women's rights activist and one of the first environmental warriors. Overcoming great obstacles, Wangari began the Green Belt Movement in Kenya in the 1960s, focusing on planting trees, environmental conservation, and women's rights. She inspired thousands across Africa to plant 30 million trees in 30 years, saving many from hunger and poverty. Her remarkable story of courage and determination shows how just one person can change the world. The story shows children how desertification works: how land is eroded and degraded when trees aren't there to hold the soil in place so it's not taken away by winds and heavy rain. It explains how all living things are dependent on each other and if trees are taken away, then you not only lessen the fertility of the soil, but you lose the animals that live there and then the animals that rely on those animals for food and so on. As well as explaining important green issues, the book also talks about Wangari's fight for human rights and shows how important it is to stand up for what you believe.