Nature’s Books
The books are about conservation, cultures, and animals.
NATURE’S BOOKS
All the King’s Animals
This a is a non-fiction account of a conservation success story in the Kingdom of Swaziland.
Author-photographer Kessler documents the efforts of conservationist Ted Reilly, who (with the help of King Sobhuza II and, later, his son King Mswati III) has helped return endangered wildlife to Swaziland. Beginning in the early 1960s on his own farm, Reilly restored the land to its original state by planting trees and creating wetland areas. Later, he added animals including plentiful species, such as wildebeests, impalas, and monitor lizards, as well as rhinos, elephants, and lions, which had disappeared from Swaziland in recent years. Although his efforts have been mostly successful, Reilly has had his problems (including drought, lack of funding, and poachers), and some of his actions have been controversial (cutting the horns off rhinos to keep poachers from killing them). Clear, close-up color photographs appear on every page, making the book a delight for browsers as well as useful for report writers.
Award-Winning Works by Cristina Kessler
A SYMBOL OF CONSERVATION
High Hope: A Whimbrel’s Migration
Connecting children to nature is a vital element of the conservation mission. The story of Hope was immortalized in the book “Hope is Here” written by well-known children’s author Cristina Kessler of St. John. The book tells a conservation story to children and has been used as a teaching tool on the U.S. Virgin Islands where Hope spent the winter months and in schools on the Delmarva Peninsula where Hope stopped during spring migration. Through the book, Hope became a tangible symbol of conservation for the many species that migrate thousands of miles between breeding and winter grounds.
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About Ikut Swami
“With my books for kids I have a personal writing agenda, which is to get the good news out about Africa.” – Cristina Kessler