Can Children Save The World?
Arktel: The Planet Only Children Could Save by Menkit Prince is a modern parable for children who are wondering what the future holds for them. Two children from the planet Arktel witness from their father’s spacecraft the destruction of a neighbouring planet that results from the greed and short-sightedness of its rulers. They return home and mobilise the children of Arktel to make sure that this cannot happen to their beautiful globe and its plants and animals. Of course, the people making money from the death and destruction don’t like that idea much.
Prince is a vegan, activist and author from Northern Rivers in New South Wales. Her story is set on an alien planet to illustrate the universal message that unity and determination can solve serious problems. The kids in Arktel don’t just rely on adults – they go out and take action themselves to fix environmental issues, just as the kids of planet Earth will need to do. The issues include pollution, overpopulation and, of course, animal agriculture, which, as one of them says, “is using up more raw materials, such as land and water, than all the other industries put together”. The children’s first step, therefore, is getting everyone to eat plant-based foods. True on Arktel, and true on Earth.
This is an entertaining story for all ages. Its large print makes it ideal for beginning readers, but it’s equally suitable for reading to younger children. It has engaging characters, heroes and villains and even a burgeoning romance between two of the main characters. At the end, the children of Earth make an appearance, but we’ll leave their role in the story for you to discover.
Prince’s story is delightfully illustrated by Linda True-Arrow and has a forward by Indian politician and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi. It is a story that not only addresses the problems that kids see every day on the news but also gives them some hope and inspires them to take action. As Paul Watson (of Sea Shepherd) says on the back cover, “When I read a children’s book, I look for one virtue …. That virtue is empowerment”.
Arktel: The Planet Only Children Could Save is available from the author’s website at PlanetArktel.com.
Posted by Jason Baker
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