The Forest Is a Part of Me
Elizabeth Wathuti O.G.W
Little Tiger

Written in a pictorial autobiographic style, Elizabeth Wathuti, Kenyan climate activist and Founder of the Green Generation Initiative, calls upon we readers to appreciate what forests are and what they offer. A tree lover from a very young age, the author tells how she planted her very first tree when she was just seven years old and since then has become part of the forest herself, growing alongside not only that tree but many others too.

She talks of how forests help humans and a wealth of creatures large and small from ‘the tiny ant to the mighty elephant.’ as well as human communities. We’re reminded of the huge threat to our planet that global deforestation poses especially when carried out in a rapid and ruthless fashion; this is heartbreaking for the author and to many readers too. It’s absolutely vital that we humans value and look after our forests the world over.

Elizabeth Wathuti’s poetic, powerfully moving narrative is illustrated by Michelle Pereira’s whose scenes of the verdant, thriving forest rich in fauna as well as flora, are a joy to behold, made all the more so with strategically placed cutouts.
As the ‘about the author’ final paragraph states, ‘Our future depends on how we nurture our bond with the natural world, because when we protect the forest – when we protect nature – we are really protecting a part of ourselves.’

(The publishers were mindful of these words as the book has been made on wood free paper, using mineral-oil-free inks that do not include petroleum-derived mineral oils. The result is paper that feels special to the touch.)
The final page of the book includes some ‘How can you help? advice which we can all follow.