This Book Will Save the Planet: A Climate-Justice Primer for Activists and Changemakers
By Dany Sigwalt
Illustrated by Aurélia Durand
“If we look around, and bring everyone to the table, we might find we already have all the answers.”
This straightforward climate justice handbook explains why and how we should save our planet by engaging with our communities and taking collective climate action. Through informative text, eye-catching graphics, real-world examples, and suggested activities, this book encourages readers to think critically about the causes of the climate crisis, the people and lands affected by climate injustice, and how they can make positive change.
The pages of this book combine concise text and colorful graphics to convey messages of hope, responsibility, and activism. From an overview of greenhouse gases and their effects to prompts to tell your own “climate story,” this book serves as a broad introduction to the key topics and histories of climate justice, while also encouraging readers to examine their personal relationship with the Earth and its climate. Graphics depict a diverse cast of people, allowing all readers to visualize themselves volunteering, cooperating with others, engaging in activism, and living sustainably. Several activity sections sprinkled throughout the text prompt readers to reflect on how they depend on natural resources, what their positionalities are, who make up their communities, and how they can contribute to climate justice. While the book’s content is designed for tweens and teens, it may also be appropriate for younger children assisted by an adult and for adults themselves. As the back cover says, “This book is for EVERYONE.”
The underlying message of this book is that the effects of the climate crisisreinforce existing inequalities because climate injustice is rooted in capitalism, extractivism, and colonialism. The author demonstrates that climate justice is racial justice, and that justice can only be achieved through collective action. In response to the question, “What will save the planet?” readers are encouraged to engage in both collective and individual action to combat wealth inequality, entrust workers with decision-making power, prioritize reuse and recycling, and manage our planet’s resources more sustainably.
©2026 ClimateLit (Milo Ono)
More:
- An International Literacy Association’s 2023 Social Justice Literature Award Honor Book in the Non-fiction Book Category
- Part of Quarto’s “Empower the Future” series, described by the publisher as “a collection of vital and urgent books about how we can all build a better world.” Each book in the series is illustrated by Aurélia Durand.
- A 2023 interview with the author, Dany Sigwalt.
- The author’s website
- The illustrator’s website
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2022
ISBN: 9780711268890
Pages: 159
Format: Nonfiction, Youth-Authored
Topics: Activism, Climate Crisis, Climate Justice, Collective Climate Action, Extractivism, Racial Justice, Wealth Inequality, Youth Climate Activism



