Today I have Gary Haq on the blog with a special guest post to celebrate the release of his debut eco-adventure, ‘My Dad, The Earth Warrior.’ It tells the tale of Hero, an ordinary boy who wants nothing more than to have a normal dad. But his Dad is only interested in reading his books and filling his head with useless facts. One day his Dad has a freak accident and wakes up claiming to be an Earth Warrior sent to protect the land from a ruthless energy tycoon. Hero is forced to go along with his Dad’s new personality. But when Gran mysteriously disappears, Hero and his Dad embark on a dangerous adventure. Can Hero save Gran and get his old dad back before it’s too late? My Dad, the Earth Warrior is a heart-warming tale of a boy and his dad who reconnect their distant relationship and set out together on a mission to save Mother Earth. It is a story of personal growth, environment and discovering the warrior spirit that lies in all of us – written with humour sure to make children laugh out loud.
Fact and Fiction – Gary Haq
My Dad, the Earth Warrior is a story about the relationship between a little boy called Hero and his dad. Since the death of Hero’s mother two years earlier, Hero and Dad have grown apart. Dad has become obsessed with updating an encyclopaedia collection and constantly drowns Hero with his facts. Hero wishes dad would change, and one day he does.
As a researcher, I can’t help but be inspired by facts that I come across in my work. So, here are five themes that run throughout the book based on fact and fiction
Being the Change
‘Be the change you want to see’ was Hero’s Mum favourite motto from the Indian activist Ghandi. Remembering these words inspires Hero to take action.
The Weather
Heatwave Blistering Bertha is affecting Hero’s home town of Leaford but this is soon replaced by flooding. The frequency of extreme weather events are expected to increase as the climate changes.
Earth Warrior
When Hero’s dad wakes up after a bump to the head claiming to be an earth warrior, Hero is forced to go along with his dad’s new persona. An earth warrior is seen as nature’s soldier fighting for the planet.
Mother Earth
Dad wants to gather a tribe to protect Mother Earth, which symbolises the life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature embodied in the form of the mother.
The Web of Life
Dad explains to Hero the importance of the Web of Life. This is a metaphor used to describe nature as a complex interconnected, interdependent functioning system where humans beings are just one part of it.
Gary Haq
Gary Haq is an earth warrior whose day job is saving the planet. He is an associate researcher at a prestigious global environmental think tank and a research scientist at a European research centre. He tries his best to be the change he wants to see in the world and hopes to inspire others with his stories. When he’s not involved in his own eco-adventures, he likes to write, read, learn languages and explore new cultures. Gary lives with his wife and young daughter, and spends his time between York, England and Laveno, Italy. My Dad, the Earth Warrior is his first children’s book.
You can find out more about Gary by following him on Twitter or Facebook.
Blog Tour
Why not join in with the rest of the blog tour for more guest posts and reviews.
Thank you to Gary for his special guest post and to Hannah Cooper for inviting me to take part in the blog tour. ‘My Dad, The Earth Warrior,’ is available to buy now online or from any good bookshop.
bookloverjo 
Sounds a great read for my kids
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