Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: August 11, 2015

Review

This picture book biography of Wangari Maathai is an excellent source of information and a beautiful book.

Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her multifaceted work replanting trees in Kenya, working tirelessly for democracy in Kenya, promoting peace among tribes, and protecting forests and wildlife.

Compared to "Wangari's Trees of Peace" by Jeanette Winter, "Wangari Maathai" is much more in-depth. Wangari's entire life is explored, from her early childhood to her work in the Kenyan government.

Beyond the primary biography, the book is chock full of relevant extras. There is not a table of contents (it's a picture book, after all), but there are: - photographs of Wangari Maathai - a timeline of her life (and other events that affected her life) - a climate map of Kenya - a description of life in Kenya today - a brief summary of the state of forests and animals in Kenya today - direct quotes from Maathai's autobiography and Nobel speech - a bibliography - websites for further information

This is truly a well-written, thorough, yet accessible book. Originally published in French in 2012, it was translated into English this year (2015).

The illustrations are very unique and fit both the story and the text beautifully.

The text is clear, though not appropriate for children younger than kindergarten, and is probably more appropriate for grades 2 and 3.

Children will be drawn to this book because of the eye-catching illustrations, but will stay for the fascinating story of Wangari Maathai.

Teachers can use this book in many ways. Despite it being a picture book, the extras at the back provide a wealth of information for a report or biography assignment. It can also be used as an example of positive African people. Elementary school studies of Africa often focus on the poor and desperate state of many countries in Africa, and this book shows a different side. In addition, Wangari Maathai herself is an example of a powerful woman. The book can be well used for Women's Hisoty Month.

Overall Book Score: excellent