Simple but vivid text and illustrations tell the story of Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, who started a movement to re-cover her native Kenya in trees. When she returns from studying abroad, the trees Wangari remembered from her childhood are being cut down to make room for modern offices. Wangari decides to do something about it, starting in her own backyard. Some readers may be disturbed by the scene in which Wangari is beaten with a club and imprisoned, but the story ends optimistically with Wangari inspiring women all over Kenya to plant millions of seedlings and bring green back to the country.