There is no age at all to talk about the environment and the preservation of the planet. And faced with an increasingly important offer on the subject, it is not easy to navigate. Here are the five favorites of the editorial staff of CNEWS to slip under the tree.
A well of science
A magnificent album with simple texts and very beautiful illustrations that immerses you in the history of the Earth and traces the evolution of the climate over more than 4.5 billion years.
Without distressing children, this book explains the causes and consequences of global warming, such as the depletion of natural resources, greenhouse gases, melting ice …
What we liked: the real asset of this book is the solutions brought by the two authors, both science journalists, to limit the damage and that we can put in place at our level.
“The Incredible Story of Climate,” by Catherine Barr, Steve Williams and Amy Husband, eds. Nathan, 12.90 euros.
Bees, keys to humanity
“If bees were to disappear from the face of the globe, man would only have four years to live.” Although this sentence was never uttered by Albert Einstein, its message is no less important. Bees are an essential link in biodiversity, which today it is essential to preserve.
This documentary book, from the Animalia podcast (to be found on Spotify), bears the voice of a little Bee Amanda who invites the youngest to discover the challenges encountered by this endangered species.
What we liked: We had already been captivated by Isabelle Adjani’s voice when listening to the podcast, but this little book to slip under the tree perfectly completes the story.
“Amanda the Bee” by Josh Vardey and Aki, eds. Actes Sud Junior, 12.90 euros.
You are animals like us
Let’s stay in the same Actes Sud publishing house, with “You are animals like us” by Cyril Dion and illustrated by Sébastien Mourrain. In this magnificent youth album, the animals take turns speaking. Like a fable, they warn about the current climate emergency.
From her swing, a little girl hears the alarming cries of a blackbird, telling her how humans have caused global warming. Excessive exploitation of oil, threats of industrialization, proliferation of plastic, ravages of the insecticide DDT: all these heavy subjects are dealt with.
What we liked: with very beautiful poetic notes, Cyril Dion, director of the documentary “Animal” currently in the cinema, awakens the youngest to the need to become aware of the ecological emergency, but without frightening them.
“You are animals, like us” by Cyril Dion and Sébastien Mourrain, ed. Actes Sud Junior, 40 pages, 14.90 euros.
Young activists’ journey
Inspiring journeys. This very pretty BAM collection! profiles 40 environmental activists detailing their fights, their actions, their successes … because most of them are unknown to the general public.
And this book is also proof that the ecological fight is much older than we think. Because since the industrial revolution, writers, philosophers, geographers and even scientists have warned of the need to protect the environment and fight against global warming.
What we liked: this anthology allows us to place in a historical perspective the interest shown in the ecological for more than a century. A little book to have in your library.
Ecology, 40 activists committed to the planet, by Elisabeth Combres and illustrated by Véronique Joffre, ed. Galliamard Jeunesse, 9.90 euros.
Dive into the depths
Surprising and inspiring. This book by Eric Mathivet and Marlène Normand is a very nice discovery because it calls into question Darwin’s theory according to which species for their survival are in perpetual competition. This magnificent book teaches us how animals and plants help each other to survive.
What we liked: this very beautiful lesson in life leads us men to also rethink our way of being. A book to slip into the hands of your children from 8 years old.
“Heroics – Animals, plants, humans, they invite us to rethink our way of life”, by Eric Mathivet and Marlène Normand, ed. Nathan, 18.90 euros.