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Cultivating Sustainable Futures Through Children’s Environmental Literature: Meet Diana Sudyka, Local Children’s Author/ Illustrator
By Kristine M. Schutz and Rebecca Woodard
Document: Column
Introductory Paragraph: Over the past four years, we have committed our professional lives to helping elementary and middle school educators engage with literacy-rich climate pedagogy to support young people in developing ecological identities, climate knowledge, and literacies through our framework of three anchoring themes: interconnectivity (i.e., understanding that our social and natural worlds are deeply intertwined, and everything matters/has a role), relationality (i.e., living in relationship to and in care for both our fellow human beings and the natural world), and action (i.e., working together to create change, solve complex problems, and impact systems) (see Woodard & Schutz, 2024). We scoured libraries, bookstores, and the internet to identify powerful picturebooks and chapter books that serve as entry points for learning about topics related to climate change and environmental sustainability (see Pollins et al., 2023; Schutz & Woodard, 2023; Woodard & Schutz, 2022, 2023). Bookshop owners, librarians, and social media book reviewers like Afoma from Reading Middle Grade (@whatafomareads) and Laura Sackton (@365daysofpicturebooks) have become our trail guides, drawing our attention to both new books and old books that target topics elementary school children find interesting, and authors and illustrators who craft compelling texts that beautifully draw in readers and cultivate curiosity. In this forthcoming three-part series, we will introduce you to three children’s book authors and illustrators who we think every teacher committed to developing their own climate knowledge and pedagogy should know. In this first column in the series, we would like you to get to know Diana Sudyka. We first came to know Diana’s artwork as we stumbled through the door she beautifully painted at Booked, a bookstore we frequent in Evanston, Illinois (see below). We then came across a number of books she had illustrated about nature topics. Diana Sudyka is an accomplished artist, author, and illustrator known for her whimsical and intricately detailed artwork, which often blends elements of folk art, nature, and storytelling. She resides in Evanston, Illinois, and was raised in Schaumburg, Illinois. She has illustrated a wide range of children’s books, demonstrating her ability to use images to bring stories to life. Sudyka is also the author and illustrator of Little Land, a beautifully written and illustrated children’s book that narrates the evolution of a piece of land over millions of years, highlighting changes due to natural processes and human impact. It serves as a call to action for environmental stewardship by encouraging readers to care for the land around them. Through her work, Diana fosters a sense of connection between the natural and social worlds and invites readers of all ages to notice, appreciate, and advocate for the land on which they live. We were especially excited to interview an author/illustrator from Illinois because we were certain that she would have some excellent recommendations for spots in nature that inspire her artwork, writing, and creativity.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33600/IRCJ.53.2.2025.62
Page Numbers: 62-66
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