As Earth Day approaches, books like My Breathing Earth remind us that storytelling has the power to inspire change—especially in the hands of young readers ready to shape a brighter, greener future.
Paul Many has been publishing award-winning children and young adult books for the last 20 years. His latest, My Breathing Earth, is a picture book that took seven years before the 500 words finally saw print. The inspiration for the story is a time-lapse image stitched together by NASA scientists from decades of satellite imagery showing the Earth as it cycled through the seasons.
Many found the image gripping but how to interpret it creatively for children took multiple drafts.
He eventually found the magic in the story of a little multi-racial girl who thrills to the beauty of the air around her. We follow her as she moves through her day, she sees it twirl peoples’ clothing into ice-cream swirls, bounce soap bubbles like little boats bobbing, and pull the clouds aside so the moon can light up her room before it cradles her to sleep.
Kids can learn fun facts about the atmosphere from My Breathing Earth and how to help the Earth breathe better become more interested in environmental protection.
The book truly came alive once talented California illustrator, Tisha Lee, joined the project according to Many. “From the few spare words of the manuscript, she imagined visuals that were heartful yet full of detail. She was in tune with what I had envisioned,” Many said. He also credits his late mother, Julia, in the book’s dedication for his love of reading.
Books cram Many’s house in Toledo and for as long as he can remember have made an emotional connection with him. One of his earliest memories is his mother reading him the classic Little Golden Book The Saggy Baggy Elephant and how he teared up at the baby elephant’s rejection by other jungle creatures before others of his kind come to rescue him. Many strives to keep an emotional connection in all his writing. “Books are the way children and adults find their connections with the world,” Many said.
Many has written three books for teens and four for younger readers as well as numerous short stories and poetry for adult audiences. His books have been a Los Angeles Times Best Children’s Book selection, selected for a statewide reading program and for the Read Aloud America program. His books are republished in paperback and translated into four languages and are found in libraries from Maine to Melbourne.
The 37th Annual Buckeye Book in 2024 Fair was Many’s fourth appearance in more than a decade. He has lived in the center and every corner of the state since he first moved to Ohio in the early 1970’s and enjoys sharing experiences from those places with the people he meets.
April 22, 2025, is Earth Day! Let’s celebrate and find the leader in each of us, so that every day can be Earth Day. We all have the power to make a positive impact on this amazing planet we call home. The achievements of young changemakers around the world continue to inspire us to do our part in creating a more sustainable future. Small actions—whether planting trees, reducing waste, or advocating for cleaner air—add up to meaningful change. By working together, we can protect and nurture our environment for generations to come.
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