Explaining Fire: Picture book introduces ecosystem to children

Explaining Fire: Picture book introduces ecosystem to children

BY SCOTT GOODRICK

Where was Fire Shapes the World when my daughter was young and asked what I did at work?

Explaining the intricacies of working in wildland fire can be difficult with adults; with children, explaining the role of fire on the landscape can be a monumental task as the explanation is often at odds with the portrayal of wildland fire in modern media.

Fire Shapes the World, by Joanna Cooke and illustrated by Cornelia Li and Diāna Renžina, traces the interwoven story of fire and life on our planet in an accessible manner that is perfect for sharing with children an appreciation for fire’s role on the landscape.

The rich illustrations provide abundant detail to captivate a young audience over multiple readings.

The book’s flow establishes the role of fire in nature and the adaptability of plants and animals to coexist with this transformative force. As people enter the narrative, the importance of fire to Indigenous people is presented as a human adaptation for living with fire. With time, the Indigenous knowledge central to living with fire fades, mimicking the life-death-renewal cycle of fire as the knowledge needs to be rebuilt, and people must establish a new relationship with fire on the landscape.

Fire Shapes the World is targeted at children four to eight years old. How the author and illustrators were able to fit such a beautiful introduction to fire ecology into 34 enthralling pages is amazing. Adding to the value, the author’s note at the end of the book provides substantial background material, additional reading, and a collection of relevant websites. These resources are essential for teachers to prepare lessons accessible to a wide range of learners and therefore make Fire Shapes the World an excellent book for the elementary school classroom.

When the concept of ecosystems is taught at the elementary school level the focus is mostly on a basic description of habitats and the animals that live in them. Fire Shapes the World enriches the discussion of ecosystems by introducing fire as a key process that shapes many of our ecosystems. Talking about many forest ecosystems without including fire is about as meaningful as talking about tidal marshland ecosystems and not talking about tides! This focus on fire as a key ecological process is what makes Fire Shapes the World stand out as an engaging and informative children’s book capable of inspiring a deeper appreciation for the natural world. Fire Shapes the World is avaialble through various online sellers.

Scott Goodrick has been a research meteorologist with the U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station, since 2002 and serves as director of the station’s Center for Forest Health and Disturbance. His general area of research spans fire-atmosphere interactions and smoke management with a focus on how prescribed fire ignition patterns influence plume dynamics and smoke dispersion. Past research has covered fire-climate dynamics, fire weather, and wind-related forest disturbance. Goodrick has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and conference papers. Before joining the Forest Service, Goodrick spent four years as the fire weather meteorologist for the state of Florida and helped develop the weather and smoke components of the state’s fire management information system. Goodrick received his MS and PhD in atmospheric science from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Goodrick serves on the IAWF board of directors.