Green Roofs Galore: It’s an OUR CITIES DEPEND ON US Q&A with Victoria Tentler-Kryov

It’s no secret that the Evanston Public Library has been at the forefront of climate action children’s literature awards thanks, in large part, to its Blueberry Awards. Full credit for its creation goes to staff member Martha Meyer who works tirelessly to both find new titles for the list and to promote them. Because of her work, I pay far more attention these days to books that have a conservationist bent to them. And with a title like Our Cities Depend on Us: Rethinking Our Urban Areas to Fight Climate Change, who was I to resist?

One reason I was so lured to this book has a great deal to do with its creator. Victoria Tentler-Krylov has been working specifically (though not exclusively) in the field of informational children’s books for years. And that distinctive watercolor technique of hers is what drew me to these titles from the start. Today, I’ve a chance to talk to her about her latest work. Our Cities Depend on Us (out now) is a compendium of green building. Or, put another way by the publisher:

“As people, animals, and even plants all over the world face environmental changes—rising sea levels, droughts, frequent and intense hurricanes and floods, and more—our cities must adapt.

We hear the terms “greenhouse effect” and “global warming,” but what do they mean? And can cities be rethought to not only fight climate change but to become more sustainable and meet the varying needs of their populations?

From the living roofs of Singapore to the Netherlands’ floating parks made of recycled trash, and innovative environmental efforts like transforming the Chicago River and saving the sinking city of Venice, many cities around the world have been incorporating new ways to fight these issues head-on. In Our Cities Depend on Us, author-illustrator and architect Victoria Tentler-Krylov shows young readers how cities around the world are taking action and how we must reimagine our urban areas to protect their history and more importantly provide them and us a future.”

Victoria was kind enough to answer a couple questions from me on the topic:

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Betsy Bird: Victoria! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today about OUR CITIES DEPEND ON US. You’ve created such a keen concept with this title. It’s a book that identifies the problems and then shows the solutions that come about when communities and people work together. Can you tell us a little about where this book came from?

Victoria Tentler-Krylov: This book actually came out of my fascination with Venice and the lengths Italy has gone to in order to preserve this incredible place for all of humanity. Namely, it’s a project called  MOSE (Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico). It’s a massive underwater barrier system designed to protect Venice and its lagoon from flooding. I really wanted to focus on the engineering brilliance of the project. But the more information I collected about the project, the clearer it became that the book should expand and include other places around the world that are also doing amazing, innovative things to counteract climate change. 

BB: I’ll be visiting Venice this summer, and I know this book will already be topmost in my mind when I do. I also serve on the committee that determines the Blueberry Awards, given annually to titles that inspire a love of nature. One of the key components of this award is the fact that the books we consider must avoid climate anxiety and show a modicum of hope. Hope is so key when considering titles that tackle environmental changes. A book like your own is a very clear cut and practical book to hand to a child worried about what people are doing to help today. Was that on your mind at all as you wrote this?

Victoria: Climate anxiety that children experience these days was certainly on my mind. I saw it firsthand in my own children! It was very clear to me that children need tools and frameworks to shift away from all that anxiety and fear to feeling empowered and inspired to come up with their own ideas, to look forward to doing things and coming up with solutions, not just being frightened and hopeless. This focus on ideas and action, to me, is key in how we talk to kids about the changing climate. My book, hopefully, will inspire young readers by showing examples of creative, innovative climate action.

BB: Tell us a little bit about how you went about selecting the cities that you did. How did you find places to include in this book? Did you have a specific number in mind? And since you include thirteen places, was there a fourteenth (or even fifteenth?) that almost made the cut?

Victoria: As I mentioned, I started with Venice. I didn’t have a specific number of places in mind, but I definitely wanted to include different continents and diverse climates and cultures. There were a few that I knew I wanted to highlight because I was so enamored with them: the urban farming concept in Argentina, the sustainable clinic in Kyabirwa, the green roofs of Singapore. I learned about others from my research. To my disappointment, we didn’t have space for everything I wanted to include, so I had to cut many amazing projects: the high rises of Hong Kong, the floating villages of Makoko in Nigeria, and many others.

BB: In the course of your research for this book, did you encounter any facts that surprised you? Anything that caught you off-guard?

Victoria: One thing that is always interesting with these climate projects is how long they’re really meant to last. The most successful ones, I think, are designed to evolve and adapt as the climate changes. Unfortunately, the trouble with complicated and expensive projects such as MOSE in Venice or the Thames Barrier in London is that they may not be able to withstand the floods that increase with time. For example, I learned (and was definitely caught off-guard) that we are already seeing the limitations of MOSE in the face of particularly violent storms. Fortunately, this is recognized by the planners, so the projects are continuously updated and expanded, which is crucial.  

BB: Out of all the cities featured in this book, which one strikes you as most impressive? Which city should stand as a beacon for others?

Victoria: I really love the concept of green roofs, so to me, Singapore is particularly inspirational. I absolutely love the fact that they look for green roof opportunities everywhere, including bus stops and even buses! But what I think is most impressive is the fact that countries worldwide collaborate, exchange climate action ideas, and help one another find solutions. This really does fill me with hope for us, for humanity as a whole.

BB: Your watercolors in this book are marvelous (and I was particularly taken with your visualization of what Earth’s atmosphere does for the planet, at the beginning). Some of the cities are straightforward and clear. Others require complex explanatory models and diagrams. Did you have any difficulty with these? And what, by and large, determines whether or not a city is featured from a distance vs. with a p.o.v. on the streets?

Victoria: There was definitely a lot of research that went into the book, but I love research and so I had a great time! As a geek and a recovering architect, I personally enjoy diagrams and technical drawings of all kinds, but I was very aware of the need to make these diagrams clear and compelling for young readers. I hope I succeeded in this! As far p.o.v., it really depended on what I wanted to highlight. For example, with the green roofs in Singapore, it made sense to depict the city from above. With other places, such as the green towers in Milan, I wanted to show not only what they look like from the outside, but also what it feels like to be inside this high-rise jungle! So in each case I really tried to find the most important angles that give the reader a sense of the place and the project. 

BB: Finally, what else are you working on these days? What’s next for you?

Victoria: This is a busy year for me with two books that came out in March, and two more coming out later in the year – all nonfiction. In fact, I find myself working on nonfiction books most of the time! And this is what makes the project I’m working on now especially exciting – it’s a fiction picture book that I am writing and illustrating. The book tells the story of a very creative little boy who goes on a long-awaited outing with his dad – and the day does not go as planned. This book will be very different from everything I’ve done before, but it is still about things that are near and dear to me: cities, art, creativity, and noticing the beauty that’s all around us. That’s all I can say for now, but the project is well underway, and I cannot wait for it to see the world!

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After seeing all her other books out, I’d say we’re ready for a lot more. Huge thanks to Victoria for taking the time to answer all my questions about her latest. Our Cities Depend on Us: Rethinking Our Urban Areas to Fight Climate Change is, as I mentioned, out now on shelves and in stores everywhere. Check it out and get just a bit of a dollop of hope about our future as it stands.

Filed under: Interviews