When the Animals Saved Earth: An Eco-Fable

Gr 1–3—This Iraqi-Hebraic folktale picture book tells the story of a group of animals who fall victim to greedy humans. The creatures of the Emerald Isle live together peacefully until humankind arrives, cutting down trees and killing and enslaving the beasts. One honorable youth teams up with the animals, successfully petitioning wise King Bersaf to help the humans see the errors of their ways. The strong text effectively describes the devastation and horror that people wreak upon the island. However, Demi's illustrations, with their soft, dainty pastel-colored backgrounds, don't match the tone of the writing. Where the text calls for denuded landscape, the art portrays hardworking people shaping logs and building homes, and the animals look just as healthy and plump as before the advent of man. Demi acknowledges the violence of this tale in a couple of scenes, such as a spread depicting a marketplace, where bloody cuts of meat are up for sale. Overall, though, the artist errs on the side of keeping the story suitable for a young audience.