“Knowledge
is the only sword that can cut through harm being done in ignorance.” Sara
Dykman, author of Bicycling with Butterflies.
Jane
Goodall was the first person to discover that chimpanzees make tools and use
them; when she later wrote about their emotions, personalities and intelligence,
she was criticized. Just like humans, chimps have emotions like happiness,
sadness, anger, frustration and grief.
Thanks to her childhood teacher-- her family
dog, Rusty—Jane Goodall had learned at a very early age that animals have
individual personalities.
Jane Goodall loved animals since she was little. She spent hours watching them and learning about them. Her connection with animals was deep.
One day
in winter, when she was lying sick in bed, a British robin came to her windowsill; to encourage his visits, she left crumbs every day for the robin. In the spring the robin returned
with a mate, and the birds made a nest in a bookshelf in her bedroom.
Anita Silvey wrote Untamed for children, but
it turned out to be a mesmerizing read for people of all ages. In an engaging conversational style she provides details about Jane Goodall’s life story, anecdotes,
facts, maps and delightful photos. It is a book that can be shared and
celebrated with an entire family, because it connects generations of people through
experiences from the past, which are linked to historical events.
Untamed also contains an uplifting foreword
by Jane Goodall, opening the minds of children to new perspectives and hopeful
horizons.
Jane empowers children to make a difference
in the world.
Anita Silvey’s book recounts how and why Jane
Goodall traveled to Africa in her twenties, and how she got in touch with the
mentor who would support her work through her years in Africa. His name was
Louis Leakey.
When Jane first settled in Gombe, Africa, to explore the lives of the chimps, her
mother was with her. In a secluded place in a forest, away from people, where
they had to dig a hole for a latrine, Jane found the magical site she had dreamed
of in her childhood. Jane’s description of the place was idyllic; she wrote
to her family about it:
“It is so beautiful, with the crystal clear
blue lake, the tiny white pebbles on the beach, the sparkling ice cold mountain
stream, the palm nut trees, the comical baboons.”
Anita
Silvey explains the risks, dangers, and discoveries of Jane's adventures, making the book
intriguing and unique. Untamed also details how the study of animals has
evolved over the years, including amazing information about the challenges Jane
encountered back then.
“She devoted more hours to observation and
recording than anyone in the area of chimpanzee research. And she did so
through illnesses such as malaria, horrible weather, and rough living
conditions.”
I did not know that chimps draw and paint, but some of them do. This is a photo of chimp Congo. He began to draw when he was two years old, and two years later he completed more than 200 abstract compositions.
Jane Goodall continues to work tirelessly to protect forests, prairies, oceans and the lives of animals and people. She also inspires children and people of all ages to do the same.
Jane’s organizations include Roots and Shoots, Jane Goodall’s Institute and TACARE.
Feel free to
check these sites:
https://www.rootsandshoots.org/
I am humbled by Jane Goodall’s wisdom and courage;
here’s an interview with Jane Goodall.
To learn more about Anita Silvey’s works, you can visit her website:
National Geographic Kids is the publisher of “Untamed”:
