Meet David Suzuki, written by Elizabeth MacLeod and illustrated by Mike Deas. Scholastic, 2021. $16.99 ages 9 and up

 

"At the camp, David awoke most mornings covered 
in bites from bedbugs. There was little money for food,
so after his father joined them about a year later, he and 
David went fishing to help feed their family. When a school 
opened at the camp in 1943, David started grade one. He loved
to learn, and a year later he was already in grade four!"

This is the newest entry in the Scholastic Canada Biography series. As is usual for this talented team, they provide a fascinating look the man who has been working tirelessly to bring attention to the environment for many years. His activism never wanes. He remains a strong advocate for the work that must be done to preserve the future of our planet. 

His story begins in Vancouver, where he continues to live today. It tells about his early childhood, his love of the natural world, his family's life in an internment camp, and a forced move to Leamington, Ontario in order to avoid exile to Japan. What a blow for so many families! The Suzukis were no different. 

Following high school, David went to the US to continue his studies. Once there, he decided that genetics was a field that held great interest for him. That led him back to Canada, and finally to a teaching job at the University of British Columbia where he taught for nearly forty years. Along the way, he created television shows, hosted a very popular radio show, and finally returned to television with The Nature of Things. Many have been influenced to love and appreciate science through that show, and David's insights concerning nature and the effect humans have on it. 

He is a truly amazing man, and I am much better-informed today about all he has accomplished because I read this fascinating story with interest and great admiration. Ms. MacLeod's text is fully supported by the illustrative magic of Mike Deas images. He is able to capture the emotional impact that life events had in leading David to speak out, speak up, and encourage others to think seriously about nature, climate change, racism, and making changes needed for a better future. He also adds touches of humor to ensure further engagement.