Cycle of Rice, Cycle of Life

Review
By PaperTigers

Jan [Reynolds] is no stranger to turning world cultures and natural environments into beautiful and educational books for children. With this new title, Cycle of Rice, Cycle of Life, she has put together a fascinating photo essay that explains sustainable farming by using the Balinese traditional system of rice farming as an example of “growing food while being conscious of the needs of other people and the well-being of the planet.” The book shows us how rice farming in Bali has been practiced for a thousand years. . . . The essence of the process, i.e the spirit of a connected community sharing water to ensure a rice harvest and a good life for all, comes through quite clearly through Jan’s images and words. . . . Thanks, Jan, on behalf of our children and our planet, for this gift of a book! To use a metaphor related to the cycle of rice, may the book’s stalks go back to the soil and help grow a new crop of children’s books on this important topic. — PaperTigers