Winston of Churchill by Jean Davies Okimoto

Winston of Churchill was the 2008 winner of the Green Earth Book Award and after reading this book, I can see why. Winston of Churchill: One Bear's Battle Against Global Warming is a wonderful picture book that addresses the serious issue of global warming.Churchill, Manitoba is the polar bear capitol of the world. Every winter, tourists flock to the tiny town to watch the bears hunt and frolic on the frozen waters of the Hudson Bay. This year, though, the tourists are in for a big surprise...Winston! A smart, fierce, brave bear, Winston of Churchill has noticed that their icy home is slowly melting away. He realizes that the earth is getting warmer due to human-generated pollution: "Burning gasoline in cars makes carbon dioxide. Methane gas comes from rotting garbage in landfills. Digging for oil and natural gas and mining coal lets out a gas called nitrous oxide. Too much of these gases is no good. But green plants turn carbon dioxide into oxygen, which is very good. People
need to burn less gas, make less garbage, and plant more trees." Winston explains to the other bears why the ice is melting, and using the stirring words of his famous namesake, rallies the bears to convince humans to save their Arctic home.But what's the best way to promote change? Change yourself, of course! Winston's wife notices that Winston himself contributes to global warming-- by smoking a big, burning, smelly cigar! "'How can you convince people to stop doing what they're doing unless you can show that every little bit helps?' His wife glared at him. 'No cigar or I'm not going.'" Winston learns an unexpected lesson and realizes that he, too, must change his ways, so he gives up his cigar to help convince humans to improve their world.Even though the book conveys a serious message, it's presented with a great sense of humor and how could you not love a book about a stogie-smoking Polar Bear? It's a great book to help children understand we all must do our part to ta
ke care of our earth.Additional Information:Author: Jean Davies OkimotoIllustrator: Jeremiah Trammell Reading level: Ages 4-8Hardcover: 32 pagesPublisher: Sasquatch Books (December 1, 2007)ISBN-10: 1570615438ISBN-13: 978-1570615436

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