When children learn about the environment, they learn to appreciate its beauty and its importance in their lives. They develop a connection to the natural world that stays with them throughout their lives. They learn to value the resources that the environment provides and to take responsibility for preserving them. It is important to start children in learning about and appreciating the environment at an early age. I had a chance to interview Oriane Livingston, author of the soon to be released and critically acclaimed book, The Guardians of Earth. Oriane discusses in detail why it is critical to teach children at an early age about the environment and how parents can achieve this.
Tell us about your book?
The Guardians of Earth, Oona and the Luminous Beings is the first volume of a fantasy saga celebrating the beauty of the natural world. It is a love letter to Earth filled with epic adventures beyond imagination, bringing children and teenagers closer to the magic of Nature.
It tells the story of Oona, an eleven-year-old girl who lives in a troubled household and feels very much alone. One night, her flower starts to speak to her, and she meets a woman of extraordinary beauty who embodies the spirit of the Earth. She learns that, along with Nawal and Aqiwo, her fellow Guardians, she must retrieve a sacred crystal in order to reconnect the filaments of light that once united humans’ hearts with the Earth.
The book invites us to honor Nature. It is both an ode to Earth’s beauty and a call to protect the environment. I think it is one of the few existing novels where the Earth is being personified.
The Guardians of Earth - Oona and the Luminous Beings also gives hope to those who feel alone or different, dealing with universal themes such as self-esteem and empowerment. The book shows that finding our inner power, through meditation for example, can transform our lives. The novel contains universal lessons that apply to adults too. For example, one of the three keys, a test, involves crossing a bridge that collapses if Oona begins to doubt herself. Adults are also invited to transcend their doubts and moments of sadness.
I would say that The Guardians of Earth - Oona and the Luminous Beings is first and foremost an empowering tale of hope and beauty. I structured its narrative like the hero’s journey in a movie, drawing my inspiration from trees, stars, wild animals, and movies such as Hayao Miyazaki’s anime for example.
What motivated you to write it?
This book is the result of an expansion of consciousness that occurred while hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains - a spiritual awakening as characterized by former Buddhist monk Adyashanti - whereby I realized the interconnectedness of all things and the underlying unity of our world. The miraculous beauty of Nature has struck me since then and I felt compelled to write about it. I chose the poetic form to render homage to its beauty.
While feeling deeply connected with the natural world, I also realized how much humans are destroying Nature and, Earth and humanity as a result, are in peril. We are in a state of emergency and need to come together to collectively shift this paradigm. Climate change is the number one priority of our times. As many politicians, scientists, activists and celebrities concerned by the environment have stated: our house is on fire.
The next generation is key to save the planet if we want our children to breathe clean air, have enough fruits and vegetables to eat, drink clean water and live in a healthy environment with lush vegetation and beautiful trees. Thus, it is crucial to educate children early to protect the environment. As a writer and former attorney, I felt a responsibility to defend Earth, in addition to rendering homage to its beauty, which motivated me to write this book. Maybe some of the readers will even feel compelled to become a Guardian of Earth!
It’s hard to explain but it feels like this is the book that I had to write in my lifetime, and it fills me with peace knowing that I am privileged enough to share it with the world. I poured my heart and soul into it. Thank you for sharing this message.
What was the greatest challenge you encountered when writing the book?
I guess the greatest challenge was to make sure that the book remained first a heartwarming story for the young readers, filled with adventures and emotion. The book aims at showing that the desire to protect the environment arises spontaneously out of love for Nature, and not as an obligation that one imposes on herself. From a technical point of view, another challenge related to the structure of the book itself. The narrative intertwines several plots filled with adventures and action scenes, which needed to be meticulously orchestrated. Otherwise, I must confess that writing this book gave me a great sense of elation!
How did you develop the characters?
I knew from the start that the three Guardians of Earth would be three kids coming from different countries and cultures around the world. Also, I generally draw my inspiration from my own experiences, as well as the natural world. For instance, like Oona, as a kid, I was fascinated by the cosmos. My dream then was to become an astronaut and I spent a week at the Space Camp when I was about nine years old. Films, books, documentaries, my day-to-day life also inform greatly the development of my characters.
I personally need to fall in love with each of my characters. I need to deeply understand what makes them dream, laugh and cry. What challenges made them who they are today and how it is affecting their personality and respective choices. What are their likeable traits? What are their flaws? What are their internal and external conflicts? From there, I literally get inspired – the characters start to breath on their own, grow and populate my thoughts. They take over my imagination and the creative process is reversed: I then put on paper the scenes that I see in my mind’s eye. I love when this creative shift happens. The phase of character development requires a lot of research in the fields of anthropology and psychology. This is the phase where you literally give birth to your characters. I deeply enjoy it. My characters become my best friends.
Why is character development so important?
Because the characters are the heart of the story, and there is no story without character development. Character development is crucial because this is why we care. We - as readers - need to fall in love with the characters in order to relate to them, and ultimately care about the story. The characters expand our consciousness and make us connect to a story. In short, the reader grows alongside the hero.
Do you believe children’s fiction is harder to write than adult fiction?
Yes, I do, because the writer’s responsibility is greater.
What motivated you to select this topic?
In a world faced with increasingly complex environmental and social challenges, children's literature plays a crucial role in raising awareness and inspiring future generations.
I felt a responsibility to write a book aiming at sensitizing the young to the beauty of Nature. Climate change is the number one priority of our times, and the next generation is key to save the planet. Thus, it is crucial to educate the young early about the protection of the environment.
The Guardians of Earth also encourages young people to believe in their ability to make a difference, and gives hope to those who feel alone or different. I strongly believe that meditation is not only a powerful tool to discover one own’s inner power, and but one of the solutions toward a sustainable world as it naturally awakens our connection to nature. I wanted to write a book that would introduce the power of meditation to everyone.
Do you believe the environment is often overlooked in children’s books? Why is it important for families to teach kids about the environment?
Many talented writers have written wonderful children’s books magnifying nature or dealing with the protection of the environment but, of course, I wish there were more! Especially with respect to the interconnectedness of all things, as indigenous people everywhere on the planet have continuously shared with the world. It is crucial for families to teach kids about the environment because it is timely.
Climate change is our planet’s greatest existential threat. The consequences of rising global temperatures include the disruption of Nature, the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of species, natural disasters, air and water contamination, population displacement, ultimately threatening all forms of life on Earth. From raging wildfires and tornadoes, we are already feeling the effects of global warming.
We are in a state of emergency, and this is the number one priority of our times. By educating the next generation early, we can shift this paradigm all together before it’s too late, and make sure that our children live in a healthy, sustainable environment.
What are some ways that even young kids can be involved in eco-friendly activities?
First, I believe that protecting Nature should be a spontaneous act of love, and not an effort. Spending time in nature with children, and enjoying Earth’s beauty together, will naturally instill the desire to protect her in kids.
Eco-friendly activities for young kids include outdoor activities, creating a garden, visiting a local organic farm, planting a tree, and rescuing an animal. Parents can help their children realize that Nature is a treasure in peril, and that they can make a difference and be proud of their contribution, even the slightest one. Children, even young kids, can also adopt the following everyday green gestures: learn to save water, enjoy the natural fruits of Nature and avoid consuming meat, use reusable containers and avoid plastic bags, use a bike or walk as much as possible.
The book features characters who take bold initiatives in the face of ecological threats. Whether it's Oona using her new powers to save whales, or Aqiwo fighting to protect the forest of his ancestors, these acts of bravery show young readers that they can and must act, even in the face of challenges that seem beyond them. By showing how small actions can have big impacts, the book encourages readers not to underestimate their ability to make a difference.
Lastly, as illustrated in the novel by the metaphor of the sacred crystal and the filaments of light, meditation is a powerful practice that naturally re-awakens our connection with Nature. By meditating only a few minutes every day, parents and children may deepen such connection together.
What can families do in the middle grades to encourage environmentally friendly choices?
Families can spend time in nature, enjoying its beauty, and educating kids on how each of their choices affects the environment. In addition to the daily green gestures previously mentioned, families may show the example by opting for electrical cars, solar panels, eating green locally, and voting for lawmakers and politicians who make the protection of the environment a priority.
How can adults keep encouraging children to think about the environment?
By deepening children’s connection to Nature and educating them about the consequences of each of their choices on the environment. The key is to empower them.
What do you hope children and parents walk away with when they finish your book?
I hope that children and parents will run outside to look at the stars, walk in the age-old forests, the mountains or by the ocean, honor animals and marvel at the miraculous beauty of Earth. That my book will bring them closer to the magic of life and fill their hearts with hope and beauty.
Like the heroes of the story, everyone can become a superhero, protecting animals and nature. Thus, I also humbly hope that some readers will feel called to become a Guardian of Earth in their own way, whether by rescuing an animal, planting a tree, exploring meditation, becoming vegetarian or saving water. That everyone will realize that they can make a difference and be proud of their contribution, even the slightest one.
The Guardians of Earth also combats the sense of loneliness often felt by young people in the face of difficulties. The novel teaches them that an immense power lies within themselves and Nature. Transcending negative voices and sadness, meditating and practicing martial arts are all ways in which the heroes of our story access their inner power. They also learn on their adventures that Nature supports them every step of the way, and that all things are interconnected in the cosmos.
In conclusion, The Guardians of Earth, Oona and the Luminous Beings intends to be more than just a fantasy story; it's a message of hope for young readers and a call to action for the younger generation.
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