When I was eight, the local news sent a reporter to my elementary school on Earth Day to "interview" us. I was excited to be picked as the ambassador for the third grade, so I prepared by fluffing up my bangs for the occasion. I had read the morning announcements a few times, so was unjustifiably confident in my public speaking ability.
Yet, when the time came for the reporter to ask me (giant foam microphone in hand) what Earth Day meant to me, all I could muster was the phrase, "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!", then the little red light on the recorder clicked off.
It must have been pretty cute, even though I clearly missed some of the main bullet points.
I hope that if the story of Big Mo does nothing else, that it encourages children to think about responsibility and consumption and greed and our environment that is shared among all the ecosystems of the earth. I hope the story highlights the connection between individuals and the planet, even if that individual happens to be an iguana.
In honor of this day which is technically every day, I have created an educational companion to Big Mo. Check it out on my new TEACH tab!
This supplement to the story introduces some of the broad ecologies set in the book, so that kids can start to think beyond the pages and explore more on their own. Then, when the next reporter rolls into school, they'll be better-equipped for the interview : )
