Maybe You Might

Illustrated by Anna Cunha

“They say I couldn’t change the world; it wasn’t worth the fight. / But in my head, a small voice said … maybe you might.”

Maybe You Might is narrated by a young girl living in the hottest country on Earth. In an overwhelmingly dry climate with no greenery, the narrator finds a seed. All the adults, hardened by the many years of struggle, say that the girl’s seed of hope will never come to fruition, literally or metaphorically. Undeterred, the girl plants the seed in the long-dead riverbed. She takes care of it every day, until slowly but surely, it begins to grow. It sprouts into a huge fruit tree, which is able to provide food and shelter for the community. Decades later, the once barren desert transforms into a vibrant rainforest ecosystem, teeming with life. All seems well, until one day, tragedy strikes: the original tree breaks and falls. The protagonist, now an elder, begins to grieve, thinking that all hope is lost. During her despair, another young child appears, holding a seed of their own. The narrator realizes that her country is in good hands, for as long as there are people who believe in the possibility of change, the cycle of growth and renewal will continue forever.

Maybe You Might is a gorgeously illustrated picturebook that serves as a perfect read-aloud story, combining its poetic prose with a powerful message of hope and resilience. Although climate change is not directly mentioned within the text, the story’s harsh, arid setting can be used to explore the different challenges that come with living in extreme climates, such as food and water insecurity as well as biodiversity loss. Once the seed is grown, the tree is able to provide both food and shelter for the community. Thus, the book highlights the interconnected relationship between humans and nature.

This book can be used to introduce concepts like ecological restoration and inspire discussions on the importance of youth climate activism. The protagonist’s decision to plant the seed, despite the skepticism from adults, reflects the potential of young people to plant seeds of change in their own lives. In addition, the book contains a subtle intergenerational theme with the interaction between the protagonist and the young child at the end. In a way, the protagonist’s individual action leads the path to a collective climate action.

©2025 ClimateLit (Alexandra Delacruz)

Publisher: Lantana Publishing, 2022

Audience: Ages 0-3, Ages 4-7

ISBN: 9781913747862

Pages: 32

Lexile Score: 520L

Format: Picturebooks

Topics: Afforestation, Biodiversity Loss, Climate Change, Collective Climate Action, Drought, Earth Stewardship, Ecological Restoration, Food Insecurity, Hope, Individual Action, Interconnectedness, Plant Life Cycle, Regrowth, Resilience, Water Cycle, Youth Climate Activism