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Caroline Castle, For Every Child: The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (New York: UNICEF, 2001). Grade Level: K-3 Publisher Description: Fourteen of the rights that were formally laid out by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are highlighted. The book begins with an introduction by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who asks readers to help make a difference. One double-page spread is devoted to each featured tenet, which is illustrated by a different artist. Some of the pictures are bold and dramatic, while others are quiet and subdued. Some are whimsical and others are serious. All bring home the point. Each illustration covers almost the entire spread, with the text on a small strip of white at the bottom. The artists include John Burningham, Shirley Hughes, Rachel Isadora, Satoshi Kitamura, and Jerry Pinkney.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is leading a global initiative on Sustainable Energy for All to mobilize action from all sectors of society in support of three interlinked objectives to be achieved by 2030: providing universal access to modern energy services; doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

In 1959 the ten principles which make up the Universal Rights of the Child were published. From the right to a name and a nationality and protection for handicapped children to the right of education and play, each of those principles is interpreted in a simple and colour illustrated text that can be understood by every child.

A beautiful photo story exploring the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - nice for primary classes.

This requires comprehensive efforts to ensure that every man, woman and child enjoy their Right to Adequate Food; women are empowered; priority is given to family farming, and food systems everywhere are sustainable and resilient. The challenge of Zero Hunger means: 1. 100% access to adequate food all year round 2. Zero stunted children less than 2 years 3. All food systems are sustainable 4. 100% increase in smallholder productivity and income 5. Zero loss or waste of food

Yann Arthus-Bertrand was appointed by the United Nations to produce the official film for the International Year of Forests. Following the success of Home which was seen by 400 million people, the photographer began producing a short 7-minute film on forests made up of aerial images from Home and the Earth from Above television programmes. This film will be shown during a plenary session of the Ninth Session of United Nations Forum on Forests (24 January - 4 February 2011) in New York. It will be available to all from February 2 - for free - so that it can be shown worldwide. To have all information or to download the movie offorestsandmen.org

A profound shift in attitudes is underway all over the world. People are now recognising that 'progress' should be about increasing human happiness and wellbeing, not just growing the economy at all costs. That's why all 193 United Nations member states have adopted a resolution calling for happiness to be given greater priority and March 20 has been declared as the International Day of Happiness - a day to inspire action for a happier world.

Rockliff, Mara. Get Real: What Kind of World are YOU Buying? Philadelphia, PA: Running Press Kids, 2010. Age Range: 10 and up Publisher's Description: Rockliff outlines how mass consumerism is harming our planet, and specifically how teens can use their purchasing power to enact change. She cites examples of products that teens use frequently (high-tech electronics, clothing, junk food, etc.) and explains how their production often harms the people who make them, the environment, and, potentially, the end consumer. She explains that a chocolate bar was most likely made with cacao beans harvested by exploited workers, and that a cell phone contains enough heavy metals to seriously harm our groundwater. She covers (un)fair labor practices, environmental pillaging, factory farming, excessive marketing, local vs. corporate stores, and the pervasive throwaway mentality that drives the whole cycle. The author's in-your-face approach makes her points while still engaging readers-she is never didactic or overbearing. She encourages teens to make a difference in their world by making small changes to things they do already-buying fair-trade chocolate or saving up for an organic cotton T-shirt. The pop-art illustrations are clever and illustrative of many points. The impressive bibliography provides lists of documentaries, websites, books, articles, and other sources to help teens find out how their favorite products came to be (and came to be so cheap). Learning more about how these products are made just might make some teens think twice about their buying habits.

April 5th, 2013 marked the 1,000-day milestone until the 2015 target date to achieve the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a development framework to improve lives worldwide. On that day, a community of individuals, organizations, and institutions celebrated successes to date, reinvigorated discussion on the MDGs themselves, and began to advance a post-2015 development framework that builds on #MDGmomentum.

Amnesty International, We Are All Born Free Mini Edition: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures (London: Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2011). Age Level: 6-9 Publisher Description: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed on 10th December 1948. It was compiled after World War Two to declare and protect the rights of all people from all countries. This beautiful collection, published 60 years on, celebrates each declaration with an illustration by an internationally-renowned artist or illustrator and is the perfect gift for children and adults alike.