Fragile World – A Coloring Book with a Purpose

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Charlene Giannetti in Reading Around

Even before the pandemic, many of us were finding solace in something we enjoyed as children – coloring. And we particularly enjoyed filling in the spaces in coloring books drawn by Kerby Rosanes. His stunning World Series captivated and challenged us. His latest does all that and more. The incredible drawings in Fragile World focus on 56 endangered, vulnerable, and threatened animals and landscapes, everything from Sumatran Tigers to Hawksbill Turtles to Blue Whales. Each page is a work of art, as well as a warning that unless we act, much of what we see could be gone.

If you don’t enjoy coloring or, if that activity was not your favorite because you struggled to stay within the lines, the black and white drawings stand on their own. But, if you’re like me, you will get out your colored pencils (crayons are too thick for the fine lines in these drawings), settle on a page and get to work. I’m a cat person, so I quickly focused on the Amur Leopard. Of course, you’re free to use any colors you like, but wanting my leopard to represent the real thing, I searched online and used a photo I found as a guide.

What followed was several blissful hours coloring. Afterwards, I looked through the index where Rosanes lists each animal facing the danger of extinction. Some I didn’t know were endangered, like the Rusty Patched Bumbleebees. Others like the Asian Elephants I’ve known about for a long time. Look through the list and I’m sure you’ll find animals you’ve taken for granted that could be gone.

I plan to keep coloring, buy several copies for friends, and make a donation to an organization that can help.

Fragile World
Kerby Rosanes

About Charlene Giannetti (690 Articles)
Charlene Giannetti, editor of Woman Around Town, is the recipient of seven awards from the New York Press Club for articles that have appeared on the website. A graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Charlene began her career working for a newspaper in Pennsylvania, then wrote for several publications in Washington covering environment and energy policy. In New York, she was an editor at Business Week magazine and her articles have appeared in many newspapers and magazines. She is the author of 13 non-fiction books, eight for parents of young adolescents written with Margaret Sagarese, including "The Roller-Coaster Years," "Cliques," and "Boy Crazy." She and Margaret have been keynote speakers at many events and have appeared on the Today Show, CBS Morning, FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and many others. Her last book, "The Plantations of Virginia," written with Jai Williams, was published by Globe Pequot Press in February, 2017. Her podcast, WAT-CAST, interviewing men and women making news, is available on Soundcloud and on iTunes. She is one of the producers for the film "Life After You," focusing on the opioid/heroin crisis that had its premiere at WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, where it won two awards. The film is now available to view on Amazon Prime, YouTube, and other services. Charlene and her husband live in Manhattan.

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