"Walking the World in Wonder gives children descriptions of 67 common plants and herbs, all grouped by the season in which they appear. Useful for beginners of all ages. Older readers may also be interested in the book's introductory history lesson, "The Wheel of the Year," which tells of ancient herbal traditions."
Description
Introduce children to the magic of using herbs for healing, cooking, and nature crafts and inspire a lifelong interest in the natural world.
• Designed especially for children ages five to ten.
• A hands-on book for children, filled with fun, easy-to-follow activities.
Walking the World in Wonder covers the medicinal and magical uses of sixty-seven common herbs. Each herb playfully introduces itself and talks about its habitat and many uses. With fun, easy-to-follow activities, herbalist Ellen Evert Hopman teaches children basic herbal skills and invites them to make a sunflower seed mosaic, sew a catnip-filled mouse, and dig for Jerusalem artichoke roots. The book also includes simple recipes that children can use, with adult supervision, to treat minor ailments--peppermint tea to soothe a troubled tummy or horse chestnut salve to heal a scraped knee. Children gain a sense of self-sufficiency and awe for the earth's treasures by eating wild nettle greens, sprinkling a sandwich with nasturtium flowers, making strawberry honey, and learning to season food with dill they've gathered themselves. Parents and teachers will appreciate how these earth-centered activities are placed within a broader social and environmental context. Sixty-seven full-color photographs enable children, parents, and teachers to identify these herbs during walks and field trips. Walking the World in Wonder gives children a direct and joyous experience of their connection to the natural world and inspires a lifelong interest in their own health and that of the planet.
Reviews
"If you've been looking for a way to introduce your child to the responsible medicinal use of herbs, this is the book for you. Children will enjoy seeking out, gathering and mounting the pretty but furtive plants featured in the book. In short, a book for the whole family."
"Not only is this book beautiful, my kids love it! That is the whole point of the book, introducing children to herbs. Beginning with a few pages of information for parents, the book is laid out to make finding and gathering herbs fun! What a wonderful concept."
"A delightful introduction to the world of herbs for children between the ages of five and ten."