VANA'S ADVENTURE WITH MOTHER EARTH

In this illustrated children’s book, a girl’s fantastic outing with Mother Earth teaches her important lessons about ecology and humans’ stewardship of nature.

Young Vana loves to visit her grandmother’s farm, where she can run free in the countryside, eat delicious fresh food, and play with the chickens, cows, and her grandma’s lively beagle, Elvin. Each time she visits, her grandparent gives her fresh-baked pies, homemade jam, and a new journal in which to draw and write. During one of the youngster’s visits, she falls asleep under an apple tree, and she’s awakened by a beautiful woman who introduces herself as Gaia (aka Mother Earth). Gaia takes Vana on a magical tour of her earthly domain, gently explaining the purposes of the trees, bees, birds, and even the rain, which Vana “hates” for dampening her play until she learns how important it is for sustaining life. Through it all, Gaia expresses her love for her creations as well as her disappointment that she “cannot change the bad habits of animals—or especially humans.” She wishes that people “could be more humble and less selfish in [their] relationship with me and all of my other children,” and she charges Vana to use her special talents for drawing and writing to share what she’s learned. Petrović’s narrative is both ambitious and concise in its attempt to illustrate Gaia’s ultimate lesson that “We are all one.” The prose is simple and understandable but never condescends to its young audience. She manages to convey Vana’s sense of wonder while also retaining a child’s perspective, as when Vana unthinkingly calls a mole “ugly” only to regret her rudeness as she discovers the unique purposes of each element of nature. Anthropomorphism abounds, and sexism and ageism make a jarring appearance when Gaia tells Vana that a giant redwood “won’t admit exactly how old she is—she is after all a lady.” Overall, though, the narrative provides a gentle explanation of the human impact on nature, from pesticides to global warming.

An easy ecological primer for young readers couched in a fanciful adventure tale.