Description
is the French language translation of Lessons From Mother Earth, a delightful picture book by first-time author Elaine McLeod. In this story, a young girl goes out to the garden with her grandmother. The child has never visited the garden and the two leave the warmth of a log cabin and begin a long walk outdoors. As they walk, grandmother tells the child about nature and the proper way to pick berries and gather wild plants. They take just enough berries to eat and are careful not to trample the delicate plants. The young child understands that this is her grandmother's garden. She learns that everyone has a responsibility to take care of the plants and the earth. At the end of the story the child follows the teachings from her grandmother and says a prayer of thanks for the berries and plants on Mother Earth. The soft watercolour illustrations convey the love between the generations as well as the bounty from the earth. This is an excellent story for Earth Day activities and provides opportunities to talk about respect for the environment with young children. It is also a thoughtful story about the role of grandparents. Elaine McLeod, a member of the Na-Cho Nyak Dun First Nation, is a teacher from Mayo, Yukon. French language translation is provided by Christelle Morelli and Susan Ouriou.