Ivan's Appeal

Ivan's Appeal is a compelling and highly engaging story of intense topical relevance, alerting young readers aged 8-11 years, to global warming and its effects. Persuasive scientific discussion is woven into an exciting, action-packed adventure story. Practical, realistic and everyday ideas of how readers can take individual action to combat the problem, permeate too. The messenger Ivan, a melting iceberg, is a powerful character with guts and authority, wit and strong opinions. He has all the charisma he needs to win over his young target audience. The message he delivers is succinct, accurate and powerful. Readers with little understanding of physics will be able to grasp the science and cannot but feel the urgency of the situation. They are offered hope and inspiration by Ivan s strong ideals and uplifting spirit. A sense of the possible is balanced with a heightened imperative that the reader change their ways. Ivan's Appeal is a book with a mission a moral eco-tale and that is worthy of all our attentions. Finally, as children's books on climate change finally start to emerge, Ivan s Appeal is quite different. There are no penguins or polar bears, so that makes a change. Furthermore, this powerful lead character is a symbol of the very life which sustains the Antarctic rather than the animals and fish who depend on it.