I was interested in having a look at a Rebel Girls publication as they have just recently come onto my radar. I thought this was a fantastic approach to highlighting stories of powerful women. It was simple enough for a young reader without diminishing the message of the women leaders the series portrays and included great activities at the end for reflection and extension. I also loved the bright illustrations.

The only slightly fictionalized (likely based on interviews) biography of Wangari Maathai. This story of a Rebel whi grew up poor in Kenya and ended up becoming a doctor of biology and a politician who helped save her country and bring it back to life. She triumphs through hard work and love of family and nature.
It is targeted at the 3rd to 5th grade reading level and so it's a bit sanitized as to the treatment she endured on entering politics, but the essential story is still there. Truly a book to inspire future rebel girls.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I have been a backer of the Rebel Girl books since the kickstarter for Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls. I have bought each of your books for my daughter and get to watch her delight in the stories of strong women. Thank you.

This was such a great read despite being a middle-grade book. I had never heard of Dr. Wangari Maathai before reading, but I had heard of the Rebel Girls. This is a beautifully written and illustrated story of Dr. Wangari Maathai's growth from a curious young girl in Kenya to a successful academic and social justice advocate. Having little knowledge about Kenya, I was thrilled to learn of the impact she was able to have on her own hometown and ultimately on future generations.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"What good was it to be big like the elephant or powerful like the leopard if you weren't going to help when it mattered?"

This book about Dr. Wangari Maathai introduced me to the story of a woman who is a hero. I read this book hoping to learn about an interesting woman, what I read was a book that would inspire ANYONE to make a difference in their world. Dr Maathai overcame obstacles, proved the naysayers wrong and has a legacy that has outlived her and will continue to make a difference. This book shows what real life can look like for a woman who bravely becomes an environmental activist and will undoubtedly inspire a generation all around the world.

This book was moving and engaging and I wouldn't change a single thing. I read it myself and then immediately snuggled up with my daughters and started reading it with them.

There is much to be learned from this book- not just about making a difference or caring for the world we live in, but about living our best life.

I am grateful this book has been written, this story has been told and most certainly for a chance to read it. I would recommend this book for any primary school aged child. It should be in any classroom or library!

The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily read this book for review, giving my honest personal opinions and thoughts

As a girl with family from Kansas and who went to KU I am overjoyed that Rebel Girls did a book on Dr, Wangari Maathai. I am a little disappointed to learn she did not go to the University of Kansas like I was taught in my environmental literature class.
Now that being said I do not understand why her story in this book was a work of fiction and not a biography. As I was reading I thought something felt off with the writing and story progression. Looking back and seeing it was a work of fiction the disjointed writing made sense. I think this will be a bit confusing to readers as for many this will be their first introduction to Dr. Maathai.
This book is also being marketed as middle grade, this so below the reading level of 6th grader. this feels more like a book a parent would to a 5 to 7-year-old as an introduction to taking care of the planet. I have a five a year old at the moment she would stop listening after chapter 3, The focus on her marriage and kids is too old for children and tweens and not detailed enough to keep the attention of teens and adults.
I think the authors try to do way too much and place too many moral lessons in to short of a time frame. The book is overall difficult to follow along with,
In summary, I would not be able to read it to my young girls, it is to low of a reading level for middle graders, and not detailed enough for adults. I loved the art and the fact that Dr, Maathai's story is being told but I did not enjoy the writing.

Before this, I had never heard of Dr Wangari Maathai (shame on me, i know) so reading this felt a little bit like being a little kid again, hanging out in the library during the breaks and reading all the fun books I could get my grubby little fingers on. And what a read this was.

It is exactly the type of book that'll give kids (and me, apparently) a confidence-boost; seeing how this absolutely amazing woman went from not even being offered schooling initially to graduating university and becoming a loud voice for environmentalism and feminism and anti-racism and yes, yes. Dr Wangari understood the power of speaking up, of taking action and not letting anybody tell you that your ideas aren't worth it, and this is exactly the kind of energy we need now, more than 40 years after she founded the Green Belt Movement. A queen.

Given how aware the kids of today are of the massive environmental issues we're facing, I'm sure they'd love this. I sure did.

Just into 2 pages into the book, I was like 'Well, this is a 5 star book!' and hell yes, I was right!
I seriously did not want to finish up reading this book because it's so damn beautiful and amazing and too short and really uplifting! And I will make sure to reread this one and have the physical copy with me in the future. I need to tell this story to every child and this is the book that is needed to be at every bookstore, every library and in every classroom.

This book is so damn important. It talks about female child education, women empowerment, racial discrimination, living dreams to the fullest and facing hardships.

This is the story of Wangari Mathai from Kenya who got educated with the support of her family which was rare during those days and making her way upto being one of the most influential personalities in the world.

As the title says, she became one of the foremost leaders of the Green Belt Movement which focuses on planting trees even though she was facing difficulties and harassment at one time or the other for being a woman as well as clashes with officials and the government during this journey. And yes, the tree planting movement got successful with the undying efforts of everyone involved working under a well educated woman.

I am so blessed to have read this book.
Kudos to the author, the artist and the publication team for such an amazing book series!
Thank you so much #NetGalley for the book #DrWangariMaathaiPlantsAForest

Biographies have been becoming more and more popular with middle grade readers! This biography of the amazing Wangari Maathai is from a new series of chapter books from the same company that published the “Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls” series. My class LOVES those one page biographies, and I think this new chapter book format will also be a big hit! This one tells the story of a young girl in Kenya who grows up to become an influential force in turning her country around after British colonialism and the post colonial government decimate the country’s economy and landscape. Middle grade readers will appreciate the “story style” biography. It explains some of the challenges Wangari faced without overwhelming young readers. Looking at the other upcoming featured individuals (Ada Lovelace, Madam CJ Walker) has me excited to check out the other books in the series. Great for 2nd-4th grade classrooms and elementary school libraries!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy.

I thought this was such a well-done biography for young readers. It’s not boring, it’s not slow, it’s a beautiful representation of Dr. Wangari’s life and how she came to care so much about trees.
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“People stopped listening. They stopped respecting the land. And now we’re all paying for it.” If we could just relearn how to listen to Creation, and observe how God created things to work in harmony, we would see so much health and life restored to our world.

I requested this middle grade children's book through Net Galley because I’m already a fan of the great things that Wangari Maathai did for her country, Kenya, and further afield. Her story is such a wonderful success story because she pushed on against greed, danger, sexism, and helped so many people - and animals. What did she do? She showed people how to green the land when the environment was failing.

Maathai began the Green Belt Movement in the late seventies and one of her drivers was that we might only do a small thing but that small thing might encourage others and in that way create something larger. I mean, we all know about this in one form or another and some of us believe it and others think we can’t make a difference so we don’t have to try, or don’t have to change. But fortunately Maathai didn’t let that stop her and she did wonderful things with her organisation, greening the land, turning it back from becoming desert where it could not sustain people (with the poor suffering the most).

This book is a wonderful introduction for young people of what one person who cares, and realises that the responsibility for having an earth that will sustain us is actually on all of us, can do. I think many children, and their parents will enjoy and find inspiration in Maathai’s story.

I think this book would be even better in a hold-in-your-hand version because it appears to have some beautiful illustrations which were cut up onto different pages on the kindle version I read.

I know this particular story of Wangari Maathai is for kids but there were so many great lessons, even for bigguns like me. Timely lessons, too, given the current environmental crisis and the fact that here in Australia we have a government not only doing so little to help, but at times working to harm. I thoroughly recommend it, whether you have kids or just want a quick, easy primer on something who achieved so much.

Thank you to the publisher and writer, Rebel Girls (woohoo!), and to Net Galley for my copy, given in return for an honest review.

This is the inspiring story of Nobel Peace Prize winning Dr. Wangari Maathai, the activist/environmentalist and first Kenyan woman to receive her PhD.
The biography details Maathai's childhood in the fertile land of rural Kenya, her time in America pursuing a higher education, and her eventual return to Africa where she noticed the overworked soil and deforestation destroying the land and its ability to feed the people.
Maathai started the Green Belt Movement in an effort to develop and educate the community while conserving the environment by planting millions of trees. This movement also advocated for and empowered the women of Kenya by creating sustainable communities generating income and food security.
Dr. Wangari Maathai Plants a Forest is an engaging biography with vibrant illustrations for middle grade readers. The message is powerful: one person, trying their best, can change their community and even inspire the world.

Thanks to Rebel Girls and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Dr. Wangari Maathai Plants a Forest is scheduled for release on February 25, 2020.

Hey this book was very amazing! Even though I’m an adult I found this book to be very eye opening and inspiring. I loved the art it was beautiful and vibrant. The writing was very okay.

Wangari Maathai is one of my heroes so I was very keen to read this book. I found it a wonderful tribute to an amazing woman who made a huge impact in her life. It was a very inspiring read, just what is needed in this time of climate emergency. The illustrations appeared broken on my version but from what I could see they were beautifully done. Thank you for bringing Maathai's story to a wider audience.

I had heard about Wangari before, but I loved how this book went deeper into her life. It was easy to follow with great information, and I think boys and girls alike would enjoy reading about her accomplishments and struggles along the way. She has done so much good, and I think it’s amazing that more people will have an opportunity to learn about her!

_The e-arc of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review._

"The world is changing, why not change with it?"

This book was absolutely beautiful. I loved it.

Dr. Wangari Maathai (1940 - 2011) was an environmentalist from Kenya. She was the first African woman to win the Nobel Prize. She was an inquisitive young girl. Her relationship with her family was a delight to read about. I would recommend this book to everyone, especially young girls. The book is beautifully written and has amazing illustrations.

"Like the hummingbird trying to put out a fire, it has been the small acts of individual Kenyans that saved the park. Wangari's letters inspired other to write to the newspapers about what was important to them. It was just like planting trees. When each person planted a single tree together, they created a forest. When each person raised their voice, together, they created a movement."

I am so blown away. I can't even call this a children story (middle grade) because it just made a huge impact on me! This book is refined, geniune, heart warming, and powerful.

Dr. Wangari Maathai lives in a small village in Kenya called Ihithe. The place is beautiful with rich soil, lush greenery, clean stream water, and wonderful hills where they use to play as a kid.

Girls in their generation don't really go to school since they need to help with household chores. However, when his brother ask their mother why Wangari doesn't go to school, their mother gave it a thought. Finally their mother decided she go to school and because of her good marks, she was given the opportunity to study in America.

Wangari noticed blacks were discriminated in America however people march there and stand for their rights. This was instilled in Wangari's mind that it is important to stand in what you think is right.

Wangari went back to Kenya, married, then she studied her doctorate degree and on 1971 she graduated. She then decided to come back to Ihithe and her heart was crushed. Her beautiful hometown is destroyed!Then Wangari's battle start here.

I love her story a lot. She has a strong will, a sense of purpose and she push for the things she thinks are right. She thought that the solution to the problem they face in Ihithe and everywhere is to plant trees. People doubted her, many don't like the idea and President Moi resented her. There are a lot of things that come in her way. Her husband left her because of what she stands for and how she gives such a highlight in planting trees and teaching women how to plant trees. Nevertheless, this didn't stop her from pushing forward.

This story is a proof that doing things on your own will give a huge impact in the end. The story of the hummingbird that her mother told her when she was still a kid made a huge impact on her. I think that story is sublime indeed. She plants marvelous ideas to the women about planting and she reaps the fruits of her labor.

The end of the book is wonderful. It shares how Wangari's work continues. As a person who loves nature, Wangari is fierce enough to do the things she does. I really adore her and this book just made a lot of impact on me.

Also the drawings are superb! So crisp colors and fine details.

Conclusion:
Definitely a 5 golden stars! Would I recommend it, of course! It's not only for middle grade children, this is for everybody!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and for Rebel Girls for this delightful book.

This was such a wonderful book! I had actually never heard of Dr Maathai and am so glad I know who she is now. I cannot to share this book with my kiddos.

I loved how it wove in the lessons of small things can help, we need to take care of the earth for our children and touches on race as well which we are trying to incorporate age appropriately for our oldest child.

What would you do if your home and way of life were threatened by greedy politicians and land owners, fight back. This is Dr. Maathai's life story made simple for children and youths world wide. It is a story of drive, curiosity and the passion to do the right thing while serving the people. Dr. Maathai helped to change the country of Kenya and the world,

genre: middle grade biography

The Kenya of Wangari's childhood is a green and thriving place and she as grows up wrapped in the natural world, she chooses to study science. After studying in the United States, Wangari returns to a different Kenya, dry and impoverished - but Wangari does not get discouraged by a large problem. She uses her hands and her powerful voice to create very real change.

This short biography is a great introduction to the incredible work of Dr. Maathai. She is so inspiring and you finish the book really feeling like one person CAN make a difference. I wasn't sure if the more personal information about the ending of her marriage was necessary - but then I thought about how many youth from a single-parent home might find it very empowering to know that those sorts of tragedies don't have to stop you from having a wonderful life. I finished wanting to learn more about this pioneer and her Green Belt Movement.

This book is considered to be a children’s/ middlegrade book but I think everyone should read this! The story follows Wangari throughout her whole life, growing up in Kenya, going abroad to study and then go back to her home to improve and build up her country. The story is a quick read and the book has such great colorful illustrations which really add to the story as well.

Thank you to netgalley for providing the e-arc of this book.