Keep Our World Green
Why Humans Need Gardens, Parks And Public Green Spaces
Part of the Orca Timeline series
Green space is good for us all.
Parks and gardens bring life to communities big and small all over the world and provide a habitat for native plants and animals. Ensuring access to these outdoor spaces can inspire art, music and literature and create ways for communities to grow their own food. But today, green space everywhere is at risk.
Keep Our World Green looks at how green space has evolved throughout history, from the first public garden to the origins of bonsai trees. It examines the political, social and environmental challenges of maintaining green spaces because of pollution, inequality and the effects of the climate crisis. It also introduces the people working to protect these places for the future-you can be a green space activist too! Come on, let's take a walk in the park together!
Key Selling Points
• This book explores the past, present and future of green space around the world. The chapters look at why green space matters, the evolution of gardens and public parks, how green space inspires art, music and literature, how green space is threatened, inequality in access to green space, innovation and examples of green ideas, how green space builds community and how young people can help preserve it for the future.
• This book challenges young readers to think about the role of green space in their own lives and what role they can play in conserving and protecting it in their communities.
• It deals with timely themes including the effects of climate change, environmental conservation and protection, biodiversity, accessibility, inequality, environmental racism, food security and urban renewal.
• It introduces young readers to famous green spaces around the world, including the classical gardens of Suzhuo, China; Monet's garden at Giverny; Georgia O'Keeffe's Abiquiú Garden; Birkenhead Park (the first public park); New York's Central Park; The Giant Tijuca Forest in Brazil, Cat Ba National Park in Vietnam and the floating gardens in Bangladesh.
• Frieda Wishinsky is the award-winning author of more than 80 books. She grew up near Central Park, New York City and visits parks, gardens and green spaces everywhere. Frieda took many of the photographs included in the book herself.
Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated book examines parks, gardens and public green spaces throughout history and shares why it's important to protect them for future generations.
Frieda Wishinsky is the international award-winning author of over 80 picture books, novels and nonfiction. Her books have been translated into many languages, including Spanish, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, French, Chinese and Korean. Frieda loves exploring new ideas and sharing the writing process with writers and readers of all ages. Frieda also loves to travel and take pictures. She enjoys walks and talks with friends and family, eating chocolate and, of course, visiting parks, gardens and green spaces everywhere.
Sara Theuerkauf is an illustrator and interior architect. Her work captures moments of simple ritual coziness and reflects her affinity for nature, textiles, traditional craft, maps and design. Her best ideas for sketches come to her on long walks through the forest or botanical gardens near her studio in Vancouver. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. Green space matters!
Green space is good for us. It helps us stay healthy, feel happier and breathe clean air. Throughout human history, parks and gardens bring life to communities, inspire art, music and literature, and make space for people to grow food. But protecting green space is no walk in the park.
Pollution, inequality and a changing climate are putting green space at risk. Meet the people working to prote