The really old forest by Cecil Kim
Ill. by Elsa Huet. Ed. by Joy Cowley. Big & Small, 2015. ISBN
9781925186468
(Age: Yr 2+) Told in a series of letters between penpals Nicole in
Australia and Jack in England in the mid 80s, this is the story of
the preservation of the Millaa Millaa rainforest in Queensland.
Nicole tells Jack about the rainforest and its beauty, as well as
its importance to the economy of the local area as a source of
timber for furniture, ships and paper as well as the slash-and-burn
farmers who want the land to grow crops. But this is the dawning of
the 'green age' and environmentalists are agitating for the forest
to be protected as areas the size of 70 football pitches are being
destroyed every minute. Faraway in England, Jack is untouched by the
town's dependence on the trees and he investigates the importance of
the forest to the environment rather than the people, telling Nicole
of the enduring damage that destruction will cause. He really opens
Nicole's eyes. She wishes she could find a way that the rainforest,
the animals and the people could live happily together.
This is a wonderful way to introduce young students to the concept
of conservation and how there have to be and can be solutions that
are win/win for all the stakeholders, not just humans. In this case
the rainforest was added to UNESCO's World Natural Heritage list so
the story can also be a springboard to examining the work and value
of this organisation. It could also be the start of a compare and
contrast investigation as students study the forest in Nicole's time
and the impact of the UNESCO intervention.
While there is a plethora of books focusing on the characteristics
and value of rainforests (and this one has pages of facts at the
back), personalising the issues in a series of letters is a way that
will immediately engage students in the issue and encourage them to
think, discuss and debate. A useful addition to the collection and a
great support to the sustainability cross-curriculum priority.
Barbara Braxton