The Runaway Dandelion is a 48 page children's book that is full of permaculture goodness for young kids up to age ten or so. As the reader follows the journey of the dandelion, they are introduced to many permaculture practices, including natural swimming pools, wild harvesting, beekeeping, soil biology and food preservation. I was very happy to find that this book has a glossary for many of the terms used in the story, as well as a resource list of useful websites. As a children's book, I think it's great that it includes useful knowledge and skills along with the story. Also included in the book, is a page dedicated to cooking with dandelion flowers and greens. The illustrations bring the story to life on every page so even very young children that aren't reading yet can enjoy it. My kids have been reading this book for the past couple of weeks and they really like it. I received this book just as the dandelions in our yard were beginning to flower so it's been a good motivator for the kids to experiment with dandelions. I even started my own batch of dandelion and ginger vinegar that will probably be ready sometime in the fall. I would like to see more books like this one because it's entertaining, educational and it focuses on what we can do to improve our lives with nature
Superb for teaching little ones to love our planet, and to take care of ourselves and our environment.
The Runaway Dandelion takes us on a fun adventure toward sustainability! The lively illustrations and interesting and informative story reveal how easy and fun it can be to be green! This story will inspire children to learn more about ecology and our place in it!
"The Runaway Dandelion: Adventures in SustainAbility" is a modern fable about sustainable living, with a humble dandelion as its narrator and guru. Once there was a dandelion living in a wonderful meadow along with many other flowers, plants, insects and animals. then the meadow was destroyed by earth moving machines to build a large house, which had a green yard of grass planted with many man made chemicals sprayed on it to kill insects, weeds, plants and small animals. Miraculously, the lonely dandelion survived the chemical sprays, through she was sad. Then, the dandelion turned to white fluff and some of her blowing seeds arrived at another lovely meadow to grow and live in a different natural setting, with a small family farm that practiced sustainability in its living. There was no use of chemical insecticides and herbicides. Instead, wildflowers, berries, fruit and nut trees grew, and a little marsh and pond starred in a wetlands area which was host to herons, fish, and frogs, plus many insects and plants. Surrounding the house was a large green forest, and the farmer who lived there used horses to help him harvest dead wood from the forest for firewood to heat the house.
The happy dandelion seed planted herself by the pond, meeting nematodes and earthworms in the moist earth which helped her to grow healthy roots. The dandelion saw chickens, ducks, and geese wandering freely in the garden, eating weeds and bugs and adding fertilizer to the soil. Children gathered eggs from the chicken house, vegetables from the garden, where they were planted in "families," and fruits, nuts and berries from the trees and bushes. The family made many good preserves and salads and good things to eat from these foods gathered, even salads from dandelion greens. The kids played in a natural swimming pool and ate fish their dad caught and cooked in an outdoor oven. the family baked its own bread and gathered honey from beehives and honeycombs. The children helped to gather firewood to heat the home in the winter. The family also collected sap from the maple trees in the forest and made its own maple syrup to eat. An old truck was being converted to run on biofuel instead of gasoline by the farmer. the farm wife grew a spiral herb garden to provide herbs and microgreen salads from a greenhouse. Even the plentiful dandelions could be gathered and made into greens, beverages, and fritters. The brave little dandelion grew well in the meadow, happy with all her natural and human company living a sustainable, natural lifestyle.
Hand-drawn and colored illustrations of the dandelion, meadow, children, and home adorn the pages of this modern eco-fable written by a practicer of Permaculture, or Permanent Agriculture, creating sustainable organic indoor and outdoor spaces for living and growing food. Additional resources and links to useful websites are included on page 44, along with a page titled Cooking With Dandelions and a glossary. "The Runaway Dandelion" is more than a modern eco-fable, it is a true story to inspire a generation with its vision of healthy alternatives for human families living compatibly with nature.