5 Earth Day Titles to Celebrate Mother Nature

Earth Care: World Folktales to Talk About

By Margaret Read MacDonald

978-0-874837-84-1 (Paperback)

Our relationship to the planet earth is at the heart of the single largest problem we face today. We have a choice: hurt mother earth and we hurt ourselves; care for the earth and we reap its bounty. People from ancient times have always known this and have expressed it in their traditional stories. Here are more than forty stories from thirty cultures that touch upon ecological themes: "Caring for the Land," "Caring for Other Creatures," "All Things Are Connected," "No Thing is Without Value," and "Planning for the Future." These nature tales will teach readers the importance of respect, responsibility and caring.

Eleven Nature Tales

By Pleasant Despain

Illustrated by Joe Shlichta

978-0-874834-58-1 (Paperback)

Folktales are as old as mankind, yet as new as each sunrise. They were shaped in a time when our ancestors knew that their daily welfare depended on maintaining a balance in nature. Today the survival of the planet depends on that same balance, and Pleasant DeSpain believes "we can count on the tales of old to provide ecological explanations, lessons, warnings, and wonders." DeSpain provides eleven ancient stories that address the natural elements. These ancient tales of ancestors teach readers the importance of citizenship, resourcefulness and respect.

Eleven Turtle Tales

By Pleasant DeSpain

978-0-874833-88-1 (Hardcover)

Turtle caries the world on her back. The story has been told by different cultures around the world for centuries. The image is rich with symbolism. Turtle, like Mother Nature, is unhurried, wise, and enduring. She walks on land, swims in water, and breathes the air—she embodies three of the four elements of creation. We have much to learn from Turtle. The eleven stories in this collection come from Africa, India, Japan, Australia, and the Americas. "The Courting of Miss Python" tells of how Turtle outwits the brutal King Python to win his daughter's lovely hand; "The Monkey's Liver" explains why Monkey never rides on Turtle's back and why Jellyfish has no spine; and "The Talkative King" tells of how a chatty ruler learns from Turtle why it is often wiser to listen than to talk. These Brazilian folktales teach readers the importance of citizenship, resourcefulness and respect.

Tales of Insects

By Pleasant DeSpain

978-0-874836-68-4 (Hardcover)

978-1-941460-40-5 (Paperback)

Insects have always been a part of the human existence. Whether they've annoyed us with buzzing, bites, or stings, or fascinated us with their complexities, we have noticed them enough to give them personalities and histories. These tales make us aware that insects exist for a purpose. Because these stories humanize insects, they can also show us our own foibles and strengths. Tales of tricksters and heroes, teachers and fools, come from countries all over the world, including: West Africa ("Why Ants Carry Heavy Loads"), Fiji ("Butterfly's Bet"), Mexico ("Grasshopper's Army"), and Jamaica ("Firefly Lights the Way").

Surf War!

By Margaret Read MacDonald

Illustrated by Geraldo Valério

978-0-874838-89-3 (Hardcover)

Surfs up! Sandpiper finds her daily stroll on the beach interrupted by Whale, who boasts that he is ruler of the sea. Sandpiper responds with equal bravado, asserting her rights to the sand and seawater. The standoff grows ominous as Whale leads his cousins in an assault on the beach, eating the sand from under the birds. Sandpiper retaliates by ordering her cousins to drink up the ocean. Soon the landscape is filled with fish, crabs, and sea creatures gasping for survival. The outcome of this timely yet timeless nature tale suggests that we are all connected in the ecological chain. These Pacific folktales will teach readers the importance of citizenship, respect and sharing.