It’s hard to truly understand the changes that Earth has gone through over the last 200 years, let alone the last 500,000,000 or 4,500,000,000. But “from the prehistoric past to the dramatic environmental change of right here and now, the land has countless stories to tell.“
Much like the beloved Virginia Lee Burton classic, The Little House, Diana Sudyka’s Little Land narrates the evolution of a small piece of land over millions of years. It invites readers on a journey through time, allowing them to vicariously experience the transformative changes.
The final pages are a call to action for young and old alike to champion and care for the land where we live.
“At first, no one noticed that there was a problem. Well, maybe some did. Change was slow in the beginning, but it gained power. Life and land creaked and slid, a tip tipping out of balance. Every change was faster than the one before, and it kept going until it seemed unstoppable.”
“But even when things seem unstoppable, unrecognizable, and beyond repair, look closely and listen. Can you hear the little land talking to you? With help and care, life and land can find a way to begin anew.”
In this storytime read-aloud video from the Mr. Wolfe Reads YouTube channel, Little Land is revealed page by page. The book beautifully captures the transition from green to grey and back, illustrating a momentary imbalance before collective efforts bring restoration.
“Do you know a little bit of land? Is it in a backyard, a forest, or a garden? Maybe it’s in a clay pot by your window. It might be as small as an island of moss in a sidewalk crack, or is it much bigger and surrounded by stars?
“No matter how big or little, you can take care of it, and when you give love to something, it will give it back to you.”
Little Land is an excellent book for class projects, nature field trips, back yards, and busy cities, too.
Find Diana Sudyka on Instagram and at DianaSudyka.com.
• Little Land Teaching Tips (pdf) from Hachette Books.
Enjoy more read aloud books, more sustainability, and more about kids taking action on TKSST, including:
• Chief Oshkosh and a history of Menominee Forest conservation
• What do kids want us to know about climate change?
• How can nature be used as a tool to restore ecosystems?
• Fourth graders create a solar powered classroom
• Do Cities Need More Green Roofs?
• Imagine a world without fossil fuels
• Planet-friendly foods for gassy cows?
• Natural Climate Solutions: How nature can repair our broken climate
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