Eco Girl

March 1, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 Eco Girl follows young Eve as she curiously wonders about the baobab-tree community outside her home and talks with her supportive family about her love for nature. To accompany his sweet storyline, Wilson-Max crafts lush illustrations depicting the verdant home of Eve's family in Africa as she spends her birthday receiving a very special surprise and undergoing a poignant family tradition: planting a baobab sprout of her very own, which will be nurtured and cared for through the sapling stage and into adulthood. Eve's grandmother helps her plant the tree while her mother and father, each of whom has a tree of their own, happily look on. The book closes with tree facts to pique the interest of young naturalists, plus a hopeful note about the Great Green Wall in Africa, which aims to stop the spread of the Sahara across the continent as well as supporting other ecosystems. Young readers with a love for fauna will indulge in Eve's birthday celebration as she grows closer to Mother Earth and follows in the footsteps of her family.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 15, 2023
A child longs to be a tree. Eve, a young Black girl, lives on the edge of a forest in an unnamed African country where she can see baobab trees in the distance. She tells her parents she'd like to be a baobab tree, and when they reply that being a tree means being patient and taking care of animals and people, she insists that she's up for the job--indeed she dubs herself Eco Girl as she sets out seed for the birds, looking after them the way the baobab does. To celebrate Eve's birthday the next day, the family leaves to visit Grandma, who lives in the forest. On the big day, Eve welcomes a rainstorm, arms outstretched like a tree. When the rain stops, she and her family walk further into the forest while her Grandma leads, carrying a wrapped baobab seedling for Eve to plant in a very special place. This is a charming story that captures children's curiosity about the natural world and their eagerness to be old enough to do the things they want to do. Illustrations drawn in thick black lines with beautiful washes of greens and punches of yellow, blue, and brown make for a warm and affectionate depiction of nature; readers will close this book eager to follow Eve's worthy example. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A young naturalist's delight. (information on baobab and other trees) (Picture book. 4-6)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 30, 2023

Gr 1-2-A young girl loves growing up on the edge of the forest. Eve is about to celebrate her birthday and wants to be seen for the maturing girl that she is. She wants to be thought of as a sapling rather than a sprout. And she wants to be Eco Girl, helping to look after the plants and animals. On her big day, her grandmother presents her with a baobab sapling and she plants it next to her dad's tree, which is next to generations of family trees. Eve promises to show patience and care for her new tree. Back matter shares tree facts, encouraging readers to do their part to be "eco kids" by planting trees and learning more about trees and their role in our world. Bright acrylic illustrations will appeal to young readers, and Eve's enthusiasm for nature practically leaps off the page with close-ups and bold colors. VERDICT A welcome addition to most collections looking to foster appreciation and stewardship of the natural world.-John Scott

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2023
A young Black girl named Eve lives in a veritable Eden at the edge of a forest somewhere in Africa. Like her biblical namesake, she feels dutybound to care for the living world, a role her dad says trees -- the girl's hobby horse -- also play. Eve's favorite green friend is the baobab tree, so she is delighted when Grandma gifts her a baobab seedling with which to continue an intergenerational tradition of planting a tree for each family member. Like her seedling, Eve will need patience and tender loving care in order to grow big and strong. Wilson-Max's warm, painterly acrylic illustrations glow with rich subtropical colors. This gentle celebration of our bonds with family and nature is appended with facts about trees and African re-greening projects.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)