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She Persisted: Wangari Maathai

Part of She Persisted

Author Eucabeth Odhiambo, Chelsea Clinton

Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger, Gillian Flint

Hardcover

$14.99 US

Penguin Young Readers | Philomel Books

5.56"W x 7.94"H x 0.5"D | 7 oz | 24 per carton

On sale Feb 01, 2022 | 80 Pages | 9780593353561

Age 6-9 years

Reading Level: Fountas & Pinnell S

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Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds--including Wangari Maathai!

In this chapter book biography by critically acclaimed author Eucabeth Odhiambo, readers learn about the amazing life of Wangari Maathai--and how she persisted.

When Wangari Maathai learned about how many trees had been cut down in Kenya, where she was from, she was horrified. So she founded the Green Belt Movement and got friends, family, and even strangers to help her plant trees and respect the environment--and she received a Nobel Peace Prize for her work.

Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and a list of ways that readers can follow in Wangari Maathai's footsteps and make a difference! A perfect choice for kids who love learning and teachers who want to bring inspiring women into their curriculum.

And don’t miss out on the rest of the books in the She Persisted series, featuring so many more women who persisted, including Malala Yousafzai, Oprah Winfrey, and more!

Eucabeth Odhiambo View titles by Eucabeth Odhiambo

Chelsea Clinton is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World; She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History; She Persisted in Sports: American Olympians Who Changed the Game; She Persisted in Science: Brilliant Women Who Made a Difference; Don't Let Them Disappear: 12 Endangered Species Across the Globe; Welcome to the Big Kids Club; It's Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!; Start Now!: You Can Make a Difference; with Hillary Clinton, Grandma's Gardens and Gutsy Women; and, with Devi Sridhar, Governing Global Health: Who Runs the World and Why? She is also the Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, where she works on many initiatives, including those that help empower the next generation of leaders. She lives in New York City with her husband, Marc, and their children. You can follow Chelsea Clinton on Twitter @ChelseaClinton or on Facebook at facebook.com/ChelseaClinton. View titles by Chelsea Clinton

Alexandra Boiger (AlexandraBoiger.com) has illustrated nearly twenty picture books, including the She Persisted series by by Chelsea Clinton; the popular Tallulah series by Marilyn Singer; and the Max and Marla books, which she also wrote. Originally from Munich, Germany, she now lives outside of San Francisco, California, with her husband, Andrea; daughter, Vanessa; and two cats, Luiso and Winter. You can follow Alexandra on Instagram @alexandra_boiger. View titles by Alexandra Boiger

Gillian Flint View titles by Gillian Flint

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Dear Reader,

As Sally Ride and Marian Wright Edelman both powerfully said, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” When Sally Ride said that, she meant that it was hard to dream of being an astronaut, like she was, or a doctor or an athlete or anything at all if you didn’t see someone like you who already had lived that dream. She especially was talking about seeing women in jobs that historically were held by men.

I wrote the first She Persisted and the books that came after it because I wanted young girls—and children of all genders—to see women who worked hard to live their dreams. And I wanted all of us to see examples of persistence in the face of different challenges to help inspire us in our own lives.

I’m so thrilled now to partner with a sisterhood of writers to bring longer, more in-depth versions of these stories of women’s persistence and achievement to readers. I hope you enjoy these chapter books as much as I do and find them inspiring and empowering.

And remember: If anyone ever tells you no, if anyone ever says your voice isn’t important or your dreams are too big, remember these women. They persisted and so should you.

Warmly,
Chelsea Clinton

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Born to the Land
Chapter 2: Glorified Slaves
Chapter 3: Growing Minds Like Trees
Chapter 4: Trees to the Rescue
Chapter 5: Tree Battles
Chapter 6: Growing Trees to Victory
How You Can Persist
References

Chapter 1
Born to the Land

When Mount Kenya’s snow-capped peak was covered with a blanket of clouds, the people knew the rains were coming. The rains that filled the rivers and streams. The rains that gave life. One very special life came into being during that season. Wangari Maathai was born on April 1, 1940, during the rainy period. Her childhood was woven through with the flowing rivers and streams, and the animals and people of her bountiful country.

As soon as Wangari was born, everyone sprang into action! The women formed a circle of loving care around mother and baby. They made a nourishing meal from the choicest vegetables in their gardens. Even before offering her baby milk, Wangari’s mother chewed small bites of roasted bananas, sugarcane, and sweet potatoes into a smooth juice. She put the juice into her baby’s tiny mouth, sharing the strength of the land and their community.

Wangari was born in a small village in Kenya called Nyeri, a part of the country with lush green shrubs, ferns, and trees. There the rain fell on the nearby fields of blue-purple sugarcane, on the forested hillsides where animals like elephants, leopards, antelopes, and monkeys made their home, and on the grass-thatched roof of the separate hut where Wangari’s father prepared another feast to celebrate the birth of their first daughter. The same rain that caused everything to grow seemed to welcome baby Wangari into her new world. That same rain would help provide food for herto grow like a strong tree, and bringing back the trees would be her reason to fight to heal the land.

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