It wasn’t until Olivia Chantecaille—creative director of the eponymous beauty company she founded in 1998 alongside her mother, Sylvie—welcomed her daughter, Delphina, that she noticed a gap in baby-friendly beauty products. Three years later, Olivia launched the Chantecaille Bébé line, whose responsible skin-care and bath-care products are plant-powered and certified organic. Here, Olivia shares the books on Delphina’s nightstand.
Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival, by Lindsay Moore
My daughter’s passion for conservation began with her love of animals. Sea Bear is a wonderful book narrated by a polar bear whose home on the ice is threatened by global warming. Delphina was really drawn in by the sweet polar bear, eager to hear its story of survival. This book shows us what we stand to lose because of climate change with a smart, emotional story illustrated beautifully by author Lindsay Moore.
Don’t Let Them Disappear, by Chelsea Clinton, with illustrations by Gianna Marino
Delphina and I were so excited when this book came out last year, and we keep going back to it. Don’t Let Them Disappear introduces kids to several of the world’s endangered species, bringing them into sharp focus with fascinating information. Delphina loves the colorful illustrations of families of pandas, tigers, and giraffes that pepper the book; the babies are especially adorable. Don’t Let Them Disappear concludes with a wonderful “What can you do?” page, which I copied and pinned up in our kitchen as a helpful reminder for our family. I love children’s conservation books—not only do they tend to be sweetly written and illustrated, but they go the extra mile in educating both parents and children and focusing on what we can all do to help. I don’t want to scare my daughter, so I try to focus on the little things, and how even our smallest gesture can have an impact.
The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss
Even though Dr. Seuss wrote it almost 50 years ago, The Lorax remains extremely poignant today. It’s a fantastical, heartwarming story with whimsical illustrations and a strong message of environmentalism. It’s about the exploitation of our delicate natural resources and reminds us to treasure the wild, to stand up for voiceless animals, and protect our planet. It’s all depicted in a way that is both comprehensible to children and moving to adults. It’s also a very encouraging book—that little seed at the end gives the reader hope.
Sea Bear, Don’t Let Them Disappear, and The Lorax are available at your local independent bookstore or on Amazon