April 22 is Earth Day and the focus of this issue is environmental literacy. Author Jamie Bastedo is fiercely passionate about educating readers about the environment and the dangers that threaten it. In his enlightening article, Bastedo shares his career background and reveals why he writes books with environmental themes, which he hopes will one day inspire kids to become activists themselves.
Nicholas Read has spent his career writing about animals and their environment. In Jennifer D. Foster’s compelling profile, we get a closer look at Nicholas, his volunteer efforts and his dedication to educating kids and teens about animals and protecting their natural habitats.
The natural world and the environment have a special place in Indigenous culture. In her informative article, Nancy Cooper, First Nation Consultant at Southern Ontario Library Service, interviews four Indigenous authors and illustrators who speak about their craft and the importance of relationships with the natural world in their writing.
In Marylynn Miller Oke’s inspiring roundtable discussion, five children’s authors discuss their passion for writing about the environment and what compels them to help kids and the environment find their way together. In our Keep Your Eye On column we introduce you to Isabelle Groc, award-winning environmental writer and conservation photographer, who has written three books for Orca Book Publishers about conservation and endangered species. Our Bookmark! column features 20 books about the environment and natural world by Canadian authors and illustrators.