Tags: Children's Book Climate Change Edge Davao Esther Noche Janice Lao Janice Lao-Noche Meg Hernandez Meghann Hernandez Metro Mom Sparky & Benny Sparky & Benny's Big Home Mystery Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Climate change continues to make itself felt across the globe through extreme and unprecedented natural disasters, species extinction, outbreaks, and decrease in water and food supply. While a number of international organizations have initiated solutions, movements and campaigns to address the problem, each one of us still has a part to play in protecting the earth and preventing potential risks to our future and home. After all, there is no planet B.
As parents, it is our duty to educate and groom our children as responsible citizens. That includes taking accountability for the world we live in and to care for it for generations to come. Problem is, how can you explain an environmental crisis of catastrophic proportions without overwhelming—or scaring—the little ones? How do you warm them up for this serious topic and translate science-speak, to make the tone and terms more age appropriate for young minds to comprehend?
Environmental scientist and development economist Janice Lao – Noche
Environmental scientist and development economist Janice Lao-Noche encountered the same challenge, when her children asked her about climate change and expressed their feelings about navigating life and growing up in today’s world. Even with her vast knowledge in science and sustainability, she struggled to find ways and words to simplify such a complex matter. She succeeded by weaving the ideas into her children’s imagination, telling them the “inconvenient truth” in the most loving and constructive way. These conversations became her inspiration to write a children’s book on climate change.
Arctic adventure
Janice and her co-author, eleven-year-old daughter Esther Noche, take us on an Arctic adventure with their newly released Sparky & Benny’s Big Home Mystery. The story follows two kid whales on a quest for answers on why they are losing their homes and how they can put a stop to it. Combining reality and fantasy, it breaks down the concept of climate change in an entertaining and logical way that makes it easy for both adults and children to understand.
The narrative offers an all-encompassing insight on how climate change affects not just select species, continents, or oceans, but the entire planet. While it brings to the fore our fears and existential concerns, it also shows how we are all links in the chain of responsibility and collaboration and how we can be part of the solution to this man-made problem.
Love letter to nature and the world
In essence, Sparky & Benny’s Big Home Mystery is a story of hope—providing children a template on how they can help make a real difference. It is a personal story for children, parents and educators to understand what climate change is all about and why it is personal to all of us.
Meet the authors: Janice Lao – Noche and 11-year-old daughter, Esther
Janice, whose family hails from Davao, is a multi-awarded sustainability expert. She won international acclaim for her work in sustainability, including at the age of 30, co-developing a mathematical and economic model for reducing carbon emissions in the international aviation sector. Her daughter, Esther, is a 6th grader, student athlete, and a young coder. She wants to be a marine veterinarian when she grows up. The book is published by US-based Wise Ink.
“This book is our love letter to nature and to the world, because real love means telling them the truth, but also showing them what is possible,” says Janice. “The book ends with hope, that if we take action today and do it together, we can solve the greatest threat we face as humanity—climate change.”
To preview the book, check out its Amazon page at bit.ly/sparkybenny. For more information, visit www.janicelao.com.
Story also published on my Metro Mom column in Edge Davao newspaper. All photos courtesy of Janice Lao – Noche.
