We support bilingual education.

They made a shrine right beneath the tree to show respect. Suddenly one day, other people who didn’t belong to the jungle came. They had no respect for nature and were greedy. This was the moment the tree would never forget. All the trees around the big tree were destroyed and cut down. The new people made the local people make roads and buildings. Soon the newcomers left, but the local people had forgotten respect for nature. They made new buildings and cars were all over the place. The smoke from cars and factories polluted the air. Soon the rivers and seas became filthy. Finally people became sick because the pollution blocked out the sun. People were dying. The tree itself was dying too. It produced its last nut and two people caught it as it fell. The tree spoke to them for the first and last time. It said, “In your band is the last nut. Eat it, and it will be the last thing you eat. Or plant it, cherish it, let it grow and bear fruit for your children and your children’s children. This is your last chance, and the choice is yours.”
The Last Nut gives us a preview of what the future of the world might be if we stopped caring about the environment. It is scary to think that humans can do so much damage. At the same time, the story gives us hope because we can change things for the better. The choice is really ours.
The author of The Last Nut, Gavin Coates is known as a landscape architect, illustrator, cartoonist and author of children’s books. From 1982, he has lived in Hong Kong and observed that as Hong Kong became busier, it got more polluted. We have another book in our library by Mr. Coates called Pinky the Pink Dolphin and the Power That May Be. Mr. Coates visits schools to talk to children about the environment.
We recommend these books to anyone who cares about the environment.