Introduce children to the magic of using herbs for healing, cooking, and nature crafts and inspire a lifelong interest in the natural world.

• Designed especially for children ages five to ten.

• A hands-on book for children, filled with fun, easy-to-follow activities.

Walking the World in Wonder covers the medicinal and magical uses of sixty-seven common herbs. Each herb playfully introduces itself and talks about its habitat and many uses. With fun, easy-to-follow activities, herbalist Ellen Evert Hopman teaches children basic herbal skills and invites them to make a sunflower seed mosaic, sew a catnip-filled mouse, and dig for Jerusalem artichoke roots. The book also includes simple recipes that children can use, with adult supervision, to treat minor ailments--peppermint tea to soothe a troubled tummy or horse chestnut salve to heal a scraped knee. Children gain a sense of self-sufficiency and awe for the earth's treasures by eating wild nettle greens, sprinkling a sandwich with nasturtium flowers, making strawberry honey, and learning to season food with dill they've gathered themselves. Parents and teachers will appreciate how these earth-centered activities are placed within a broader social and environmental context. Sixty-seven full-color photographs enable children, parents, and teachers to identify these herbs during walks and field trips. Walking the World in Wonder gives children a direct and joyous experience of their connection to the natural world and inspires a lifelong interest in their own health and that of the planet.

About The Author

Ellen Evert Hopman

Ellen Evert Hopman has been a teacher of herbalism since 1983 and is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild. A member of the Grey Council of Mages and Sages and a former professor at the Grey School of Wizardry, she has presented at schools and workshops across the United States and Europe. A Druidic initiate since 1984, she is the current Archdruid of Tribe of the Oak (Tuatha na Dara), an international Druid Order, a founding member of The Order of the White Oak (Ord Na Darach Gile), a Bard of the Gorsedd of Caer Abiri, and a Druidess of the Druid Clan of Dana. A former vice president of The Henge of Keltria, she is the author of The Sacred Herbs of Spring; The Sacred Herbs of Samhain; Secret Medicines from Your Garden; The Real Witches of New England; Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore; A Druid's Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine; A Druid’s Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year; Walking the World in Wonder – a Children’s Herbal; Being a Pagan; Tree Medicine, Tree Magic; and the Druid trilogy of novels: Priestess of the Forest, The Druid Isle and Priestess of the Fire Temple. She lives in Massachusetts.

Product Details

Publisher: Healing Arts Press (October 1, 2000)
Length: 160 pages
ISBN13: 9780892818785
Ages: 5 - 10

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Raves and Reviews

"Walking the World in Wonder gives children descriptions of 67 common plants and herbs, all grouped by the season in which they appear. Useful for beginners of all ages. Older readers may also be interested in the book's introductory history lesson, "The Wheel of the Year," which tells of ancient herbal traditions."

– Elizabeth Hockstad, Amherst Bulletin, Dec 2000

"If you've been looking for a way to introduce your child to the responsible medicinal use of herbs, this is the book for you. Children will enjoy seeking out, gathering and mounting the pretty but furtive plants featured in the book. In short, a book for the whole family."

– www.beliefnet.com

"Not only is this book beautiful, my kids love it! That is the whole point of the book, introducing children to herbs. Beginning with a few pages of information for parents, the book is laid out to make finding and gathering herbs fun! What a wonderful concept."

– The Herb Network, Vol. 6, Issue 2, Spring 2001

"A delightful introduction to the world of herbs for children between the ages of five and ten."

– Lori Collner, The Blessed Bee, Autumn 2001

". . . as an educator, a parent, and an herbalist, I heartily recommend this book for folks of all ages. . . . an excellent resource for any family interested in exploring the world of herbs, as it is informative, colorful, and child-friendly."

– Elaine Reardon, Journal of the American Guild, Vol 6, No. 2, 2006

"Wow! What a great book for the up and coming herbalist on your gift list!"

– PagaNet News, Volume VIII Issue VII

" . . . a pleasant surprise. It never occurred to me that such a book would exist. . . . The back cover says the book is appropriate for children ages 5-10 years old. . . . I will readily admit that as a novice to the world of herbalism this book was at about the right speed for me, too."

– The Magical Buffet, Jan 2009

". . . beautifully illustrated with color drawings of the plants. . . . All sorts of plants are featured here. These include everything from club mosses and ferns to trees. The plants are arranged according to the season so that children can follow the natural cycle. At the beginning the author explains about the Wheel of the Year."

– Conie Krochmal, BellaOnline, June 2010