Northern Beaches primary school teacher turned children’s author and illustrator, Mo Davey, has published her first book, I am Tree Rex, which exposes young readers to the importance of the environment.
“I am hoping my book will inspire a whole new generation of little environmentalists,” Mo tells Manly Observer.
“Australia is an amazing country with phenomenal landscapes. Let’s look after it.”
Mo says she loves word play and had the title before she had the story.
Rex, a very cute looking Tyrannosaurus Rex, lives next to a forest. He loves counting and hugging each of the 21 trees but is heartbroken when one of those trees goes missing. Together with a bird, who has lost her home, and a group of feathered friends, they hatch a plan to scare away the tree cutters, once and for all.
“I hope children take away the message that trees are important for so many reasons – as shelter, as homes and that the planet needs them,” Mo says.
“We need to look after them.”
An environmentalist herself, Mo has filled her garden with native trees which attract possums, birds and bees and enjoys hearing about the impact her book has already made.
“I was sent a video of a friend’s grandchild, and he was very sad that Rex loved his trees, but they were being taken away,” she says.
“Another child loved Rex’s kindness as he took in the birds, who were now homeless, to live with him. I think each child will identify and love different aspects of the story.”
As the book is about saving trees and is published on paper (which comes from trees), we asked Mo how she feels about this.
“It’s a dilemma I have wrangled with myself,” she explains.
“During the book launch, I made sure to recycle items from home for the arts and crafts portion of the launch, and paper is also recyclable.
“My hope is that the book can be used to encourage children to love trees, care for them and appreciate their importance. To focus on climate awareness instead of climate anxiety, which I feel will become an issue for younger generations.”
Besides the importance of the environment, the book also touches on themes like teamwork, problem solving, dealing with something that you love going missing, caring for others and doing things that bring you comfort, such as counting and hugging trees.
“As a teacher, I’ve made sure to include many educational aspects that can be discussed with children, both in the home and used in lessons in school,” Mo adds.
There are also free printable resources on Mo’s author website, which include how to draw Tree Rex and how to make a 3D model of Tree Rex and his trees.
To purchase the book and support a local author, please go here.
