Thesaurus of Child Ecology

Thesaurus of Child Ecology shows what happens when children design their own books.

Thesaurus of Child Ecology is a reader of ecology as a school subject and a practical tool showing how the ecology of images works as a method for learning collectively. At the heart of the book are 250 cards, divided into three colour-coded categories: Names, Things, and Uses. Names offer concise definitions of key concepts in ecology. Things contain synopses of texts written between 300 BCE and 2020 that relate to those concepts. Uses present exercises designed to activate and connect names and things through practical engagement. Together, these cards function like the components of a living thesaurus—where meaning is discovered through use, relation, and context.

The book poses questions about the role of publishing in education. Who decides what knowledge is printed? Do books need to be printed at all these days? Can children co-author their learning tools? These are practical inquiries, grounded in workshops where students explored how ideas migrate, how images prompt discussion, and how learning can be documented as a living archive—how information can be reshuffled, recycled, and repurposed, not only as a book, but also as an exhibition, a game, a theory, or a shared gesture.

Other than read, the book can be mounted as a wall tapestry with the staple holders on the cover.