Many of our authors & illustrators have become multi-year participants in our mission to education and empower young readers. To honor the achievements of those who exhibit an enduring commitment to mentorship through Authors for Earth Day, we hereby designate them GREEN AUTHORs.
Our GREEN AUTHOR icon, created by beloved American illustrator Jim Paillot, symbolizes each recipient as a true environmental steward.
Please help celebrate our very first GREEN AUTHORs: Dan Gutman and Barb Rosenstock. As steadfast members of our Author for Earth Day coalition, both have donated to conservation through at least five annual A4ED school visits. We applaud their advocacy for children’s literacy—and their unabashed compassion for the natural world.
Barb Rosenstock (www.barbrosenstock.com) has been with Authors for Earth Day since 2012. Every year, based on the enthusiastic vote of students, she has donated her entire speaking fee to an charity dedicated to forest preservation. The beneficiaries of her generous outreach have ranged from national organizations, including Sierra Club, The National Park Foundation and Save America’s Forests to the locally focused Forest Preserve District of Lake County Illinois. Barb is the author of several award-winning biographies for young readers, including The Noisy Paintbox, which earned a 2015 Caldecott Honor. In Barb’s A4ED blog, she shares the backstory to her book The Camping Trip That Changed America about the history of the American National Park system—a book that speaks directly to the importance of nature.
Dan Gutman (www.dangutman.com) has authored over 120 books, including the popular My Weird School series and The Genius Files series. In addition to supporting reluctant readers and promoting laughter in the library, Dan pushes kids to use their noggins—especially when it comes to solving problems of ecological sustainability. Since 2011, he has contributed a whopping $12,000 to conservation organizations, as directed by student research at his A4ED events. As our coalition’s greatest champion and ally, he has brought many prestigious members into our ranks and rallied us to protect our planet. He’s written several A4ED blogs, too, including a compelling 5-part series for kids on climate change.
We all owe thanks to these 2016 GREEN AUTHORS for their inspiration and generosity as eco-minded role models: For speaking on behalf of our earth and its inhabitants and for giving youth the opportunity to cast their vote for a brighter tomorrow. Learn more about Authors for Earth Day at authorsforearthday.org.
