Happy Stories for Nature Lovers - Dawn Casey

Author: Dawn Casey

Illustrator: Domenique Serfontein

Genre: Children's Picture Book, Non-fiction

Rating: 4.5 stars.

A must-read for every human being, nature lover or not.

All of us know the desperate condition the planet is in. Forest fires, severe hurricanes, extreme rains and floods – weather patterns are changing like never before. The future looks scary the way it is right now, assuming there is a long-term future. But to avoid humans from giving up on the planet, there is a need for reports filled with a ray of hope than with overwhelming dread. That’s where such books make a world of difference.

The eight stories contained in this book have one specialty. Unlike usual picture books based on nature, the stories aren’t entirely fictional and aren’t taken from folktales or mythical lore. Instead, every single story has a basis in reality – they are all real-life anecdotes written in a narrative format. From the return of grey wolves to the Yellowstone National Park to the restoration in the numbers of humpback whales, the stories depict not just the devastation humankind has wreaked on nature, but also how nature has the ability to repair and restore itself when it is allowed some breathing space.

I was delighted to see the story celebrating the tiger conservation efforts in India. The tiger is my absolute favourite animal, and seeing its numbers climb upwards has been one of the more rewarding experiences in my life. We still have a long way to go before the tiger can be considered safe in status, but making a start is still better than doing nothing at all

Within just 32 pages, the book manages to cover a diverse representation of nature, covering stories about trees, birds, water creatures, animals and farming! The introductory note is touching, revealing the importance and interconnectivity of nature. The book ends with a ‘What You Can Do’ section, containing many practical points that children (and carers) can implement without much worry.

The artwork is simply gorgeous, so soothing to the eyes and so perfect for the content. Not surprisingly for a nature-based book, it is rich and earthy in its colour tone.

The book is aimed at little readers aged 5-8 and the language level suits this group perfectly.

Definitely a book to be read and treasured. It highlights the importance of conservation and responsible human behaviour in an uplifting manner, thereby imbuing hope in these times of gloom. After all, it’s never too late, unless we do nothing about it.

In a true gesture of “walking the talk”, the book has been printed on recycled paper made from 100% post-consumer waste. This is the right way to go for all books in future.

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – Ivy Kids and NetGalley for the DRC of “Happy Stories for Nature Lovers”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.