I am feeling very humbled.  Twenty years on I had hoped that people would still be appreciative of the topical message and patched up illustrations of Long Live Earth’s Anniversary Edition.  But I never expected reviews like these last few.  Here is the most recent review from a true blue Top 50, Vine Voice Amazon reviewer.  Wow.  Many heartfelt thanks to L.M. Keefer:

If you are looking for a charming, colorful and creative book to teach children about taking care of our earth, this book delights. The illustrations embody the philosophy: they are quilt squares, making use of unused fabric. Each illustration is imaginatively conceived and stitched. Children will have fun talking about what they see in the squares. The illustrations are quite winsome.

The book is brimming with actionable ideas on what children can do to take care of our beautiful earth: waste less, use non-chemical sprays, don’t litter, take the train or bus when you can, plant a garden, recycle etc. The book can be a catalyst for an adult to think together of ideas with a child on how to take care of the earth. It would also be wonderful in a classroom to think of a class project on how they can care for the earth. Then, for an art activity, the students could create a patchwork square of their own out of collage materials to illustrate something they love about the exquisite earth that is worth preserving. The squares could be placed together on a bulletin board. When I taught preschool and elementary classes, I would ask design stores for any leftover wallpaper books and use the wallpaper for art projects as the wallpaper was patterned like fabric but could be glued instead of stitched.

For parents who care about cultivating a care for the earth in their children, this book enchants. It has depth. The author wrote in the forward that some years ago she was looking for a book to teach her son care for the earth. When she couldn’t find what she was looking for, she wrote this book and stitched the quilt squares. She has designed textiles for the home furnishings industry, exhibited her award winning art internationally and studied art at Parsons School of Design and Boston University. The art is truly fetching. Quilters and home schools would appreciate this book, too.