Top 10 Sustainability Themed Children’s Books 2023

April 25, 2023

Not long ago I finished reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I had read her previous book, Gathering Moss, and loved the way it helped me see small things differently. The same is true of Braiding Sweetgrass, though the scope of the vision is somewhat broader. The point is, both books changed the way I look at the world and my place in it.

In my own small way, this is what I hope to do for children in my books. When I set out to write Sun in My Tummy, I didn’t think I was writing a book about sustainability. Rather, influenced by Thich Nhat Hahn, I was trying to convey a message about mindfulness and looking deep into the things around us to see how they are interconnected. But I suppose that way of seeing lies at the heart of a reciprocal relationship with our earth–and living in a way that is sustainable.

So it seems fitting after all to see Sun in My Tummy on this list of the Top Ten Sustainability Themed Children’s Books for 2023 from the American Library Association Sustainability Round Table. What an honour it is to have it included among these other wonderful books that will help many children perceive their world in a new way.

To download the list and learn more about the ALA Sustainability RT click here.