Planting Hope: A Portrait of Photographer Sebastião Salgado

A 2024 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book

A gorgeously illustrated picture book biography about Brazilian photojournalist, humanitarian, and environmental advocate Sebastião Salgado.

As a young boy, Sebastião Salgado loved exploring his parents' farm in the forests of Brazil, always dreaming of what might lie beyond his view. When he went away to school, he met Lélia, who showed him how to use a camera. As he looked through the lens, Sebastião realized he could use photography to capture how the world fits together.

Sebastião used his pictures to tell the stories of people who might not otherwise be seen. But after witnessing too much destruction, he put away his camera and returned to his childhood home. The land was in ruins.

So Sebastião and Lélia decided to rebuild the rainforest and photograph the beauty of the world to save it. Through art and activism, they would show that everyone was responsible for caring for the planet and that hope endures if we take action.

Author: Philip Hoelzel
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 03/05/2024
Pages: 48
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 9.10h x 12.20w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781534477650
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2024
Booklist 01/01/2024 pg. 53
Publishers Weekly 02/12/2024

About the Author
Philip Hoelzel is the author of Planting Hope. He was born and raised near Chicago but has lived in Santiago, Chile; Morelia, Mexico; and now Austin, Texas. Philip is trilingual and proud of it. He speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese, learning the last two languages so he could meet more people in this big, wide, wonderful world. His other interests include hiking and camping, watching baseball, and playing Brazilian percussion instruments. If you want to know more about Philip or his writing projects visit PhilipHoelzel.com or @CotopaxiPhil.

Renato Alarcão has been passionate about drawing ever since he could hold a pencil. He lives in a coastal town across the bay from Rio de Janeiro with his wife, Rosa, and their two sons. Visit him at Alarcao.com.br.