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Description
This is the story of two islands in the middle of the ocean: Greenel, whose citizens kept it fertile and green, and Graynel, whose citizens covered it with factories and skyscrapers. Citizens of Graynel wanted to vacation on Greenel and proposed to build a bridge between the islands, but the citizens of Greenel refused. Intending to force the bridge, citizens of Graynel stockpiled steel and cement and weapons on one end of the island, eventually causing it to tip on its edge and slide into the sea. While the moral of this modern fable is obvious – overarching human ambition, without regard to nature’s limitations, brings self-destruction – it can also open philosophical conversations about alternatives between pastoral Greenel and overdeveloped Graynel. Unlike children’s literature that is meant to socialize children to take their preordained places in society, this book is aimed at encouraging children to be social critics.
Publication Date
1988
Publisher
Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children
City
Montclair
Keywords
child as social critic, children, environmental education, nature, philosophy for children
Disciplines
Early Childhood Education | Education | Philosophy
Recommended Citation
Matthews, Gareth B., "Two Islands (1985) by Ivan Gantschev" (1988). Picture Books. 38.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/iapc_thinkingstories_picturebooks/38