The Story Behind the Story of Captain Green and the Tree Machine

by Author Evelyn Bookless

Jacket Flap Copy from Book:

Captain Green is back and this time he’s creating a gadget to help save the planet. As he fine-tunes his invention, disaster strikes. Hornbill’s tree has been chopped down and there’s tree trouble for Elephant and Orangutan too. Captain Green scrambles to finish his invention - a TREE MACHINE - and zooms to the rescue! ZAP! ZOOP! ZINK! Trees pop up all around until… BANG! Oh no! How will Captain Green save the animals now?

CAPTAIN GREEN AND THE TREE MACHINE (Marshall Cavendish) is the second story in an eco-adventure series (illustrated by Danny Deeptown), featuring a young superhero on a mission to help keep the planet clean and green. In the first story, CAPTAIN GREEN AND THE PLASTIC SCENE, the Captain sets off to save some sea creatures in trouble with plastic. [Ad: Click on Links to buy book.]

This time around, he is attempting to create a gadget to help save the planet. As Captain Green fine-tunes his invention, disaster strikes. Hornbill’s tree has been chopped down and there’s tree trouble for Elephant and Orangutan too. Captain Green scrambles to finish his invention - a TREE MACHINE - and zooms to the rescue! ZAP! ZOOP! ZINK! Trees pop up all around until… BANG! Oh no! Captain Green must find a new way to save the animals.

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Deciding on the topic for Captain Green’s second eco-mission took some time. I had drafted a story focused on climate change, set in the Arctic. I batted with it for a while, and then one day, decided to take elements from it (like Captain Green's FREEZE MACHINE) and use them in a new story about deforestation (now with a TREE MACHINE). It is said that nothing is wasted in writing! The initial draft seemed to just write itself, and it felt right and more the story I wanted to tell.

Forests have always been special for me. I played for hours in the trees at the back on our house growing up in Ireland. Thirty years ago, my father decided to grow a forest that is now maturing nicely. I love to visit it when I return home and learn about the different trees, plants and animals living within it. I am proud of this little green ‘lung’ that my family have nurtured. While living in Asia for 10 years, where I worked as an international school teacher, I had the opportunity to visit Borneo and other parts of Indonesia and witness some of the intense deforestation of ancient rainforest, often to make way for palm tree plantations or farm land. Aspects of my childhood and travels have definitely fed into this story. And, of course, we all know that tress are vital to our survival – I hope this story will inspire more trees to be planted and protected. The back matter shares some simple facts about deforestation and real ways that children can help, which as a teacher and Mom, I hope will be useful for little superheroes everywhere.

Thanks for having me Lynne Marie. 

Keep It Green everyone!

Evelyn

Evelyn Bookless grew up on a farm in the west of Ireland where she loved to make forts and play in the trees with her siblings. She is a nature lover, mum, teacher and writer. Evelyn spent ten wonderful years living in Asia but was saddened to see beautiful rainforests cut down during her travels around the region. She recently moved to the Netherlands, where she enjoys cycling her blue bike, Betty. Her favourite place to be is in the sea, preferably somewhere warm. 

Her first picture book, CAPTAIN GREEN AND THE PLASTIC SCENE, also illustrated by Danny Deeptown, won a Northern Lights Book Award for Children’s Environmental Fiction.

Website Link www.evelynbookless.com

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