Our Earth, Our Home: The Essential Japanese Green Living Handbook for Kids

by Kai Sawyer, Azusa Fukuoka, Wakana Kawamura (Illustrator), Cynthia Su (Translator)

Overview

Beautifully illustrated, energetic guide from Japan for forward-thinking kids and parents on how to live in harmony with our earth—contains sections on DIY crafts, design thinking, mindfulness, gardening, eating, permaculture, and more

Young readers will be swept along by Kai, the guide on this journey, who only has five rules:

1) Be yourself
2) You have everything you need
3) You can create whatever you want
4) We are all connected
5) Have fun with life!

With those rules as the north star, Ranger Kai teaches kids and adults about eating, permaculture, mindfulness, design thinking, creating a garden, DIY crafts, and more. Each section includes illustrated step-by-step guides and activity ideas.

Many books on climate change and green living for kids focus on recycling or other small-picture ideas. This book from Japan dares to truly envision a post-carbon future—and not only that, embraces it and charts the path towards a truly fun life, in harmony with the Earth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781952692116
Publisher:	Parallax Press
Publication date:	05/03/2022
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	1,028,774
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kai Sawyer is a nonviolence activist born in Tokyo in 1983. He was raised in Niigata, Hawaii and Osaka. While attending the University of California, Santa Cruz, he began to engage with the anti-war movement and sustainability. He also co-chaired the Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP). As the founder of Tokyo Urban Permaculture, an experimental project based on the gift economy, he conducts workshops on permaculture, nonviolent communication, mindfulness, systems thinking and such around the world. With his collaborators, he wants to create a world where everyone lives life to the fullest.
Azusa Fukuoka met her husband at a shared house, and moved to a satoyama (community-based forest) in Chiba Prefecture after their child was born. They are exploring how to live a sustainable life that is fun and beautiful, while implementing the practices of permaculture. She is also involved with a local community project, Small Earth, to create a community space for both locals and city dwellers.

Wakana Kawamura is an illustrator and permaculture designer, born in in Hyogo Prefecture. Her fascination with American music & art brought her to the West Coast of the US in 2008.She attended the Urban Permaculture Institute in San Francisco. After returning to Japan, she joined the Permaculture Design Lab that focuses on making edible forests in Japan and began to work as an illustrator. She loves invisible creatures such as fermentation bacteria and soil microbes!

Editorial Reviews

"Our Earth, Our Home is a wonderful guide to nourishing children in both body and mind. These green ideas from Japan will give kids a sense of adventure as they get in touch with the wonders of nature."
—Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse and founder of The Edible Schoolyard Project
 
"This is a gift to the future. The best permaculture book for young kids I've ever come across."
—Matt Powers, author of The Permaculture Student 1 & 2 and Regenerative Soil
 
“This book is a reminder of how creative and cooperative we humans can be on this precious planet.”
—Tao Okamoto, actress and creator of Emerald Practices

"Our Earth, Our Home is a precious guide for children on how to live harmoniously as an Earth Steward. The book is both beautiful and practical with a treasure trove of activities to support young people in growing their connection to and reverence for our beloved planet."
—Meena Srinivasan, author of Teach, Breathe, Learn and SEL Every Day

“There are so few good books about green living for children. Green living is also good living! If children can learn how to live lightly and sustainably as they grow then the green ideas and planet friendly practices will remain with them for the rest of their lives. This marvelous book should be treasured in every home and in every school.”
—Satish Kumar, editor emeritus Resurgence & Ecologist magazine and founder of Schumacher College

“Our Earth, Our Home is a critical tool for helping to instill alternative values, knowledge, and skills for localized happy living from an early age.”
—Helena Norberg-Hodge, founder and director of Local Futures and author of Local Is Our Future

“This book is a gift to the Earth. It is a thorough and deeply thoughtful exploration of permaculture, offering an exceptional foundation in this important framework for global sustainability. And, most importantly, it is a wise and heartfelt book, created and offered as an expression of humanity's capacity and calling to love and care for our planet and each other.”
—Karl Steyeart, founder of the Cultural Catalyst Network

“This inspiring and beautiful book makes unstoppable ideas and tools for creative learning and ecological action available to kids in the language that matters most: FUN!”
—Mark Lakeman, founder of the City Repair Project

"This book is a doorway to another world. With its beautiful visuals, Kai and his crew draw you into do-able experiments and creations, creating a tomorrow that's irresistible. Buy this book, and become fluent in two cultures: Japanese deep listening, and Western dream-chasing. We all get to be heroes amongst heroes. Up we get, off the couch, into Adventureland."
—Cecilia Macaulay

From the Publisher