Severn Speaks Out

In 1992, Severn Cullis-Suzuki traveled from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to deliver a speech at the Earth Summit. In a statement that is sure to remind today’s young readers of Greta Thunberg’s more recent pleas, Cullis-Suzuki beseeches the adults present to address the problems of ozone holes, air and water pollution, and species extinction. She also presses listeners to address the issues of child poverty, excessive consumption in wealthy nations, and armed conflict. Conceding that she, as a child, does not have all the answers, she petitions adults to do something to make the world a better place for their children. The second half of the book contains commentary by Spanish author, paleontologist, and geologist Alex Nogués who offers additional background about Cullis-Suzuki and her speech and brings readers up to date on Cullis-Suzuki and her current activities as an ethnoecologist helping to preserve endangered languages on Haida Gwaii.

Severn Speaks Out, the first of the “Speak Out” series, shares this inspiring speech and attempts to deconstruct it for young readers. The address, itself, is illustrated using mixed media (black-and-white with green highlights) that often incorporates key phrases from the speech into the artwork. The commentary, originally published in Spanish and here translated, is certainly informative, but its complex syntax and lack of visuals render it more useful to adults than to the intended audience. Quibbles aside, this is an important talk that deserves to be more widely known and makes a great addition to the social justice shelf.