UN Urges Parents To Switch The Talk About ‘Birds & The Bees’ With New Kids’ Book
By Mikelle Leow, 23 Nov 2021
Image by Wunderman Thompson for United Nations Development Program
It’s a little unnerving opening up about the birds and the bees to young children, but the United Nations cautions that procreation might become a rarity if we continue to sweep things under the rug.
And by the birds and the bees, it means the creatures that help produce the worldwide food supply through pollination.
To help kick-start conversations about the pressing global issue that is climate change, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and marketing communications firm Wunderman Thompson Australia are launching The Birds & The Bees, a children’s book illustrating not about how life is made, but about how life on Earth can be sustained.
The story is written by Jack Elliott and Lochi Newham, Associate Creative Directors at Wunderman Thompson Australia, with illustrations by Serbian artist Anđela Janković. It joins UNDP’s Don’t Choose Extinction campaign, which recently released a video of a dinosaur warning humans about how they’re sabotaging themselves into endangerment.
Image by Wunderman Thompson for United Nations Development Program
The Birds & The Bees aims to spark parent-child discussions about caring for the planet and keeping greenhouse gas emissions down. Although children cannot vote on how world leaders are dealing with climate change, they’ll be more vulnerable to its effects than any other generation.
Thankfully, kids have a voice, and the book reminds them that they can use it by actively talking with adults who only want the best for their future.
Image by Wunderman Thompson for United Nations Development Program
The project cites statistics by UNICEF estimating that one billion children are at an “extremely high risk” of climate crisis impacts, where they’ll likely face simultaneous exposure to three or four of the following: heatwaves, floods, cyclones, disease, drought, and air pollution. Almost every child in the world would be affected by at least one of these disasters, says UNICEF.
“The birds and the bees has always been a famously difficult conversation for parents but talking about the future of our planet can be even harder,” describe Elliott and Newham in a joint statement. “We wanted to not just create an engaging story, but a tool for kids to make their voices heard. After all, people might not care for politicians or scientists, but they do care about their kids.”
The children’s book can be pre-ordered on the UNDP online store for US$19.99. However, to spread the message far and wide, its digital copy has been made into a free ebook, which can be flipped through here.
Audiobook versions in all six UN languages (English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese) make this story even more accessible. Two English audiobooks have been voiced by Game of Thrones star and UNDP Ambassador Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, as well as Melanie Zanetti of Emmy award-winning children’s show Bluey; and the French and Spanish audiobooks will be ready in the coming weeks.
Image by Wunderman Thompson for United Nations Development Program
[via Wunderman Thompson for United Nations Development Program]