Stand as Tall as the Trees: How an Amazonian Community Protected the Rain Forest

by Patricia Gualinga and Laura Resau with illustrations by Vanessa Jaramillo, 2023. Hardcover, 40 pages. Ages 6-9 years.

An inspiring true story about how an activist in the Amazon worked with other Indigenous communities to protect and preserve their sacred lands and forests.

Patricia (Paty) Gualinga grew up in her Kichwa village in the Amazon of Ecuador where mystical beings called Amazanga help protect the forest. Paty traveled away from home for school until she was called back—companies that said the government sold them property were destroying her people’s lands to look for oil. The Kichwa community worked with other Indigenous groups to bring the Ecuadorian government to the Court of Human Rights.

Lyrically told and beautifully illustrated, this moving story will remind readers of the importance of nature conservation, perseverance, and standing up for your community.

About the Authors

Patricia Gualinga is a human rights and Indigenous rights defender of the Pueblo Kichwa de Sarayaku, an indigenous community in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Gualinga currently lives in Puyo, Ecuador. She has played an important role in the fight for indigenous rights. Gualinga is a spokeswoman for many environmental projects.

With a background in cultural anthropology and ESL-teaching, Laura Resau has lived and traveled in Latin America and Europe - experiences that inspired her books for young people. Her previous novels - The Queen of Water, Star in the Forest, The Ruby Notebook, The Indigo Notebook, Red Glass, and What the Moon Saw - have garnered many starred reviews and awards, including the IRA YA Fiction Award, the Américas Award, and spots on Oprah's Kids' Book List.

Vanessa Jaramillo studied graphic design, but her passion for drawing and painting led her to a path that contained what she was looking for: illustration. She focuses on intercultural bilingual education projects and has been a consultant for UNICEF and the Ministry of Education.