The Return of the Forest is the first of an intended series of conservation books for primary school children in Thailand, both Thai and foreigners in international schools. Its messages, however, are universal and could apply to many countries around the world.
As the name implies, this book has to do with conserving forests and its resident wild animals, covering in simplified terms such major threats as deforestation, burning of forests, poaching and extinction of wild animal species, and plastic pollution. The vehicle is an adventure story and mystery which the scouts must solve.
The story takes place in Doi Suthep/Pui National Park, in Chiang Mai, at a waterfall popular for Thais and school classes to have a picnic outing. It focuses on Thai scouts who are going on a hiking trip. The central characters are a Thai boy scout named Yuenyong, and his sister Lamduan.
This is not meant to be a Science studies book, to capture all aspects of the geography and zoology of the forests of northern Thailand. The intention is to engender a love of and respect for Nature and all creatures on Earth, and to realise that as one individual, one has the power to create change and to act to protect the environment. A secondary message is respect for, and learning from, elders in the community.
Copyright Linda Pfotenhauer
A good message and easy to understand. I liked that you showed the note with clues on the one page. It’s a good visual.
Plus the worksheet at the end makes it a good teaching tool.
Great idea!! Is the book already available?
I found this book at Asia Bookstore in time for Earth Day this coming Monday 🌏
We are spending 6 months in Thailand on a work contract, and I Home Educate our 7 year old. I was looking for a few resources around the Earth Day theme, and am absolutely thrilled with this book. We read it together this morning, and my little person loved the story and the illustrations. He was totally engaged and cought up in, and started solving the riddle along with the scouts.
Animals and Nature are close to our hearts, and my little guy is passionate about the subject.
We’ve previously also spent a weekend at WFFT and went on the full day educational experience, where we also learned the stories of habitat loss, poaching, animals being captured for pet trade, traditional medicines and all sorts. So, this book and its story resonated deeply.
Tha k you for a wonderfully engaging story. I’m thrilled to have found this treasure.
I wish it were more widely available / more accessible, also internationally.
Dear Ms. Synman: Thank you for your kind words about Return of the Forest.
For your information, there is a second book in the series, with the same child characters, this time focusing on marine conservation, taking place in the south of Thailand. It is entitled To the Sea: Saving the Dugong. See details on this website.
Both books are not only available at Asia Books outlets, but also from the supplier here in Chiang Mai.
Should you, or colleagues or friends, wish to purchase copies, kindly contact me at
linda.pfotenhauer@yahoo.com and the books can be posted.
Thank you once again, kind regards, Linda Pfotenhauer