A dove, owl and whale set out to help a forest replaced by desert. Animals bring seeds from different parts of the world, and a boy brings water; together they produce a seedling.
More about this book
An adaptation of Esko-Pekka Tiitinen's internationally known children's play, the story of endangered species from all over the world coming together to save the planet instills in children the importance of being environmentally conscious. An elderly owl and a whale help a dove make the long journey home to Africa, but once they arrive, they find that a desert has taken over the once-lush forest. With the cooperation of other animals, a human, the sun, the water, and a favorable wind, they can sow the seeds of life again. This beautifully illustrated fable deals with many themes, including so.
Animals carry seeds from different regions, while a boy brings water, in an effort to grow a seedling where forest has given way to desert.FavourableFavourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.Favourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.
How the book presents it: The collective effort is presented as the route towards restoring life; the refrain also stresses the strong helping the weak.
Talk about: How does each character’s contribution affect the group’s effort?
Dialogue and visual presentation
The play-turned-book foregrounds realistically rendered animals against fantasy-like backgrounds, using strong colour contrasts and layered colours.Exploratory / explanatoryExploratory / explanatory: the book explains or explores the subject without an established evaluative position.Exploratory / explanatory: the book explains or explores the subject without an established evaluative position.
How the book presents it: How do the dialogue and visual contrasts shape the way the journey comes across?
Talk about: Do the pictures help make the journey and its message clearer?
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Why It May Be Worth Reading
The tale makes cooperation across species central to its environmental concern. Its repeated refrain links strength with helping others, although the message may feel emphatic rather than subtle.
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What Deserves Attention
Desertification and the loss of a once-lush forest are central to the story; the animals also face a rescue during the journey.
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A Conversation Worth Having
What do you think the refrain about the strong helping the weak means here, and does the story make that idea clear to you?
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Reading Approach
Read a short section at a time, pausing to look at the layered, contrasting illustrations and check what each character contributes.
Confidence & Basis
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
What remains unconfirmed
Cooperation and environmental repair: The story does not explain what caused the desertification.
Dialogue and visual presentation: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
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