New Toronto picture book connects both kids and adult readers to the environment
Has your kid ever asked you where the tap water comes from? Or what happens when they flush the toilet? Have you ever wondered where your electricity comes from? Or where all that rainwater disappears to? Well, a new Toronto picture book about the city’s infrastructure connects both kids and adult readers to the environment. “Where does it all come from? Where does it all go? Toronto’s water, energy & waste systems,” a debut book by Toronto author/illustrator, Mariko Uda follows a Torontonian and their pet cat as they slowly discover their environmental connections.
Through diagrams and maps readers learn where their water, sewage, storm water, electricity, natural gas and garbage come from or go to.
Toddlers and parents can read it together and grade-school kids can read it on their own. As well it is a quick and informative read for older students and adults interested in urban and environmental issues, with useful links to further information. It can be a great coffee table book too!
“Once we know where it all comes from and where it all goes, we are no longer lost and alone, but strongly grounded in our knowing of exactly how we are connected to the environment that supports us each and every day.” – Mariko Uda, author and illustrator
The 48-page book contains simple black and white drawings and four colour maps. It is printed in Toronto on 100% post-consumer FSC-certified paper, stapled like a zine. Retail price: ~$20, ISBN 9781999255725. The current version (Rev. 2) was printed in Aug. 2020.
For more information or to order the book go to www.ecomariko.com. The book is also available in several Toronto stores: Spacing Store, A Different Booklist, Old’s Cool General Store, and ecoexistence.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mariko Uda is an ecologically-minded author/illustrator and environmental educator. She has a background in biology, chemistry, architecture and engineering. Her doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Toronto focused on sustainable and resilient neighbourhood design. She aspires to create delightful books that inform, inspire, and empower.
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