The Mangrove Tree

Review
By Dr. Gay Ward, University of Wisconsin

Susan Roth and Cindy Trumbore have produced a very special children’s book for integrated curriculum that can be viewed through a literary, biographical, geographic or science sustainability perspective. As an educator, I like that the cumulative text on the left hand page makes this a suitable resource for younger children and the detailed description of the implementation of Dr. Soto’s vision on the right makes the book suitable for more experienced readers. The text style, the message and the collage illustrations are all engaging. The content makes this an important resource on sustainability. Most of the books we read on introduced species have horrendous endings. It is nice to have a story of an introduced plant that enhanced the health, productivity and diversity of other creatures rather than destroying the balance. This is an important addition to elementary and middle school libraries for students and their parents.