‘Wangari’s Trees of Peace‘ written by Jeanette Winter is a true story from Africa about Wangari Muta Maathai, who used to be a Kenyan political and environmental activist.

Wangari lived under an umbrella of green trees during her childhood. She would watch the birds in the forest while collecting firewood for cooking. Her school grades were high just like the trees, and she received a scholarship to attend Mount St. Scholastica College in Kansas, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s at the University of Pittsburgh, and a Ph.D at the University of Nairobi.

But when she gets home, Wangari returns to a naked piece of land. There weren’t the trees she had known before. Women had to walk miles to get firewood to cook, and the barren land couldn’t grow any crops. Thousands of trees had been removed to make room for buildings. So, she decides to plant nine seedlings in he backyard. As the saplings grew, Wangari plants more and more trees, and convinces the village women to plant trees as well. She pays a little money to the women who helped. And soon, women in other villages across Africa decide to do the same thing. However, the government men didn’t like what she was doing, and put her into jail. But as the word grew, Wangari is let out and given a Nobel Peace Prize.

I could make some connections to this picture book. A text to my own experiences is the removal of the trees at my own house. We’re rebuilding our home, so the plants in my front and backyard will be taken down. We’re also learning about renewable energy sources in class for a cleaner environment. Secondly, this book reminds me of a book I read that talks about being a “green” teen. I didn’t read much of it, so I don’t really know the rest. Last but not least, I could connect this to all the media that talks about being good to nature.

All in all, this story tells a very important issue in the world we live in right now.