A beautiful children’s book by the Yosemite Conservancy is Wildheart: The Daring Adventures of John Muir by Julie Bertagna and illustrated by William Goldsmith.

My son and I loved reading the inspiring book together sharing how John Muir, an immigrant who came to America at age 11, overcame many hardships including accidental blindness which helped him listen to birds and nature. He created National Parks and the Sierra Club on a worldwide mission so is a hero to anyone and anything who lives and breaths - i.e. all life. Here are a few quotes from the book:

“We are part of nature and its wild heart is part of us. The human creatures of this planet are connected to all our earth-born companions.”

“My life has been one big adventure. I had a dream and I worked and worked at it. I hitched my wagon to that star. Aged 65, I went on a tour to every continent except Antarctica. I crossed oceans to explore the great rivers and forest of the earth. At 73, I made a 40,000 mile trek to South America and Africa.”

I highly recommend getting a copy of this book and following in John Muir’s footsteps - go visit an American National treasure or World Heritage Site this year!