Our Last Blog Book Tour Stop

Today, we give you the final stop in the Sofia's Dream blog book tour, and share a part of the creation of this book that is very special.

When the author, Land Wilson had his own children, he started exploring ways to inspire in them respect for the environment. His research for the story led him to the profound observations astronauts have made about the environment.  In 2000, he had the privilege of interviewing three Apollo astronauts—Captain Walter M. Schirra, Jr., (Commander of Apollo 7), Captain Frank Borman (Commander of Apollo 8), and Captain Eugene Cernan (Pilot aboard Apollo 10, and Commander of Apollo 17). All three of these space explorers expressed passionately that the view of Earth from space transforms the human understanding of who we are in this world and the impact we are having on it.

Here is a portion of the interview Land had with Navy Capt. Walter M. Schirra in February 2000:

Land Wilson: The view of this earth from space transforms the human understanding of “who we are on this world” and “what we are doing to it”. I have translated these insights into a fable, which discusses the problems people have created for the earth and themselves and how children can help to improve these problems. To the best of my knowledge, there are several books that deal with the subject of teaching children the importance of caring for Earth, but none use the astronauts’ perspective, which I convey through a magical friendship between a little girl and the Moon.

As someone who has been in space, I thought you might have some thoughts regarding this matter.

Walter Schirra: I sure do.

Land Wilson: Is it true that the view of earth from space transforms people’s understandings of earth and what we do to her?

Walter Schirra: Absolutely! It did for me. I have said this saying many times: “I left earth three times, found no place to go. Please take care of space ship earth.” I use this line as a closing line for some of my environmental talks. It is also in my book, Schirra’s Space (Navel Institute Press).

Land Wilson: Would you say that the other 32 Astronauts who took part in all missions leading to landing on the moon had transformations like you?

Walter Schirra: Yes, they all did to varying degrees. They all took a good look at the impact man was/is having on earth. We all saw air pollution and the pollution of the waters from space.

Land Wilson: Do you mean oil spills?

Walter Schirra: I mean the pollution you could see in the form of discolored waters created by people in populated areas, which then flows out into the oceans.  When you see earth from space you see the ozone and how thin it is even without the global warming problems. We astronauts say that the ozone layer is like the shell of an egg.  It is thin and fragile and you realize that humans had better learn to be more careful with it.

And two other astronauts made these comments:

“In space you see how beautiful the Earth is with its blues and white clouds, brownish, pinkish continents. It’s alone in the vastness of space. You see that it is fragile, and you want its people to be responsible citizens because this is the only world we have.” – Colonel Frank Borman

"Suddenly, from behind the rim of the Moon, in long, slow-motion moments of immense majesty, there emerges a sparkling blue and white jewel, a light, delicate sky-blue sphere laced with slowly swirling veils of white, rising gradually like a small pearl in a thick sea of black mystery. It takes more than a moment to fully realize this is Earth... home." - Edgar Mitchell

As Land points out, our missions on the moon yielded many developments in technology, space travel, and moon science. One of the great legacies of our Apollo astronauts has been a more detailed understanding of our planet.  As each Apollo mission offered breathtaking images of Earth from a distance, people worldwide became more aware of the Earth and of their relationship to it. It was no coincidence that in the year following the first moon landing, the environmental movement was born as marked by the establishment of Earth Day, the EPA, and many other prominent environmental groups.

It was with this foundation that Sofia's Dream was born, many years in the making.  You can surely see what a tremendous inspiration it was for Land Wilson. Today, the book is in print and is being shipped from the Little Pickle Press offices daily, and Land has embarked on the next leg of his journey: taking his environmental messages to schools everywhere. His Earth Talks With Kids for grades K - 6, combine hands-on activities, music, storytelling, and slide shows around the theme of teaching environmental awareness. If you're interested in engaging him to come speak to a school assembly, please contact him via email or for more information, visit his website.

Before you leave, be sure to sign up for our final giveaway! The drawing for the iPod Shuffle ends tomorrow, and one lucky winner receives not only the cute pickle green iPod, but also a copy of Sofia's Dream. Leave a comment with your email address. We'll announce the winner at noon CST tomorrow (Saturday). 

If you're interested in purchasing a copy of the book for a lucky child in your life, visit our website at http://www.littlepicklepress.com and order now for Christmas delivery!