Old Enough to Make a Difference: Be inspired by real-life children building a more sustainable future

by Rebecca Hui, Anneli Bray (Illustrator)

In social entrepreneur Rebecca Hui’s Old Enough to Make a Difference , meet 12 enterprising and inspiring kids from around the world who have started businesses to help people and the planet, featuring full-color illustrations by Anneli Bray.

Calling all social entrepreneurs! End the trend for fast fashion. Say no to single-use plastic. Provide food to those in need.

Be inspired by these real-life children building businesses for a more sustainable
Their acts of social enterprise are bringing positive change. Learn about the work they do and discover how the future of our world starts here . . . with you.

Includes a how-to-help section with simple steps to empower young readers to take action at home and at school

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Biography

32 pages, Hardcover

Published March 28, 2023

Reviews

[Cheryl]

Wonderful book, *amazing* kids!

Includes back matter with more guidance how the readers themselves can make a difference. But mainly it's inspirational: the children are from all around the world, addressing a variety of issues. And the art is lovely & appealing. It gives me badly needed Hope for the Future.

Skimmed for the 'STEM Heroes' theme in Children's Books group, Feb 2025.

[Nicole Dowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good one for Teacher Reading because it’s a big illustrated hardback that can be shown in class while the teacher reads. The teacher can also choose which pages to read for which topics. With only 1-2 page illustrations and a few written components, this story makes for perfect introductions in how to reduce waste in all kinds of ways. Inspired by real kids making a difference around the world, this story would be a great answer to the almighty question, "Where am I going to use this information?" The story features 12 enterprising and inspiring kids from around the world who have started businesses to help people and the planet. Their stories include: fighting fast fashion, working to end period poverty, promoting green energy, reducing paper waste, supporting women and girls through arts and education, protecting our oceans, putting a stop to single-use straws, redistributing food destined for landfill, campaigning for disability access, introducing the Seabin Project, growing food through sustainable farming, and making healthcare more accessible. I love these stories because I can take an excerpt specifying the scientific topic in the classroom and read that section to the class in less than 10 minutes.

[bookishlimitless · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book politely invited me to grab and read it. I went with a clean slate to process what I was getting into and have to admit that it gave me an intriguing experience. As the title suggests it is vital to make a difference more than just the age, appropriate intentions are the driving force and shows us how much societal issues are hushed down by day to day trivialities. I like the highlights of the areas where sustainable growth must be addressed. I like this statement “Find your passion, notice what is making you sad, angry or excited, transform that energy into creativity. Overall had a satisfying read, my ratings for this book is 4 out of 5 for immersive content, how to help sections and awareness of better world.

[Latifah S Ningrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are really cute, so they will make anyone who reads them feel at home.
Rebeca Hui shows that children can be do something and make real changes through the problems experienced in their surrounding environment. When I have children, I want to give them a look at this book.

[Janelle Fila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the inspirational message of this picture book, which gives real-life examples of young people who started companies to change the world. It addressed a lot of different issues, and inspired me to waste less food and plant a few more trees! I hope it inspires young people to do the same.