Our Cities Depend on Us

Acclaimed author-artist Victoria Tentler-Krylov highlights cities that are fighting climate change around the world in this gorgeously illustrated picture book about sustainability and green building
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 Tentler-Krylov is a trained and practicing architect, as well as a children's and editorial illustrator, who grew up in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and studied architecture and urban design at Cooper Union and Columbia University. Her inspiration is fueled by urban landscapes but also by fantasy, possibility, and imagination. Her other passion is experimenting with digital and traditional art tools, and in particular, pushing the boundaries of watercolor digitally. Building Zaha: The Story of Architect Zaha Hadid was her author-illustrated debut, and her illustrated picture books include We Are a Garden, The Cyclops of Central Park, Just Read!, and Peter Pan: A Modern Retelling. She lives with her family just outside Boston.