"When he grew older, David went to a
university to learn more about the wild
places and the things that lived there.
Understanding how the natural world
worked was more important to him
than studying politics, languages, or
the history of queens and kings.
And the more he discovered, the
more David wanted to share what
he had learned with others."
Readers are told in the first line of this book that David is one of one type of animal (human) from the 8.7 million types that inhabit our planet. That's a pretty awesome opening statement and certainly focuses attention on a man who has spent most of his life making a difference. At the time of his birth, 'more than two-thirds of our planet was covered in wild places'.
While still young, Sir David fell in love with these wild places. Throughout his life, he has worked to share that love with many and to teach us what must be done to protect what has not already been destroyed. While telling Sir David's amazing story, Ms. Rocco also expands on the story of our planet and how our actions have had a detrimental impact.
As a broadcaster, he worked on a television program about nature and introduced viewers to all types of animals, explaining what was so special about them and knowing that the more people knew, the more they would care. If people were excited about what he could share in the studio, imagine what might happen if the programming acturally happened from the wild places!
"So David started travelling all over the planet,
filming animals in wild places people had never
seen before. He became our connection to the natural world."
This homage to his work invites young readers to see the impact one person can have, and encourages all to look carefully at what has happened to the wild things and wild places whose numbers are shrinking day by day. His worry has led him to work with scientists to discover methods for 'rewilding' Earth. His suggestions make perfect sense.
"David has spent his lifetime
showing us how every living thing
on this planet is connected."
His hope is that everyone will do their part to make our world a better place for all.
John Rocco's detailed and compelling artwork, using pencil, watercolor and digital paint, holds attention from the book's cover forward. Readers are able to watch Sir David grow from childhood until today. His visual messages are clear as he places urban landscapes alongside the wild places to show just how much the world has changed. Back matter includes an author's note, a selected bibliography, a section on rewilding with ideas for helping, and a list of the main problems and their solutions.
If we take care of nature,
nature will take care of us.
- David Attenborough
No comments:
Post a Comment