“Trees are living symbols of peace and hope.” –Wangari
Maathai, Nobel Peace laureate
This simply told story begins with Green Belt Movement founder
Wangari Maathai’s childhood at the foot of Mount Kenya where, as
the oldest child in her family, her responsibility was to stay home
and help her mother. When the chance to go to school presented
itself, she seized it with both hands. In the 1960s, she was awarded
the opportunity to travel to the US to study, where she saw that even
in the land of the free, black people were not welcome.
Returning home,
Wangari was determined to help her people and her country. She
recognized that deforestation and urbanization was at the root of her
country’s troubles. Her courage and confidence carried her through
adversity to found a movement for peace, reconciliation, and healing.
Aurélia Fronty’s
beautiful illustrations show readers the color and diversity of
Wangari’s Africa—the green trees and the flowering trees full of
birds, monkeys, and other animals; the roots that dig deep into the
earth; and the people who work and live on the land. Wangari Maathai
changed the way the world thinks about nature, ecology, freedom, and
democracy, inspiring radical efforts that continue to this day.
