Why I Wrote Healing Our World
By Marea Saldarriaga | June 13, 2025
As a Sarasota based designer, I’ve noticed a troubling trend: the news kids are exposed to often paints a fatalistic picture of the future. Climate crises, division, uncertainty—it’s heavy for young hearts. I wrote Healing Our World: Flourishing Years Ahead to change that narrative, offering a vibrant, hopeful vision of 2052 where kids heal Earth through kindness, sharing, and composting. My goal? To inspire children, our future, to imagine and manifest a positive outlook—and for parents reading bedtime stories to dream of a brighter world, too.
This book is deeply personal. I was raised by an ecological mother who taught me early on to care for our planet. Growing up, we had a vegetable garden bursting with tomatoes and herbs, nurtured by the rich compost we made from food waste. Those moments—digging in the soil, watching seeds sprout—shaped my belief that small, intentional acts can transform our world. I wanted Healing Our World to share that lesson with kids, showing them how growing salads or composting can spark big change.
In the book, bright art brings nature to life, inviting kids to picture a thriving Earth. Activities like planting and composting empower them to act, while the story’s warmth encourages parents to join the journey. Unlike the doom-filled headlines, Healing Our World says, “You can make a difference.” It’s a message I hope resonates in Sarasota, where our beaches and mangroves remind us daily of nature’s beauty.
Writing this book was my way of planting a seed—a vision of hope for kids and parents. I’m thrilled it’s now available on Amazon & Barnes & Noble. If you’ve read Healing Our World with your kids, please share an honest review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Your words help other families discover this hopeful story!
Let’s inspire the next generation to manifest a flourishing future!
Spreading Light, One Book at a Time
By Marea Saldarriaga | July 27, 2025
Just recently, I received the most uplifting news—my cousin in Spain told me she had received a copy of Healing Our World: Flourishing Years Ahead, and that my nieces absolutely loved it. The book was printed in the UK and arrived at their doorstep in no time. Thinking back to my early days in the publishing industry, when international distribution was slow and uncertain, this moment filled me with hope. It reminded me how far we’ve come—and how possible it now is for this message of healing to reach children all around the world.
Join Us for a Joyful Book Reading & Eco-Workshop at Children’s World in Sarasota!
I’m thrilled to share that we will soon have a special book reading and eco-workshop for my children’s book, Healing Our World: Flourishing Years Ahead, on Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Children’s World, 4525 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233.
This fun-filled event, perfect for kids ages 4–8, celebrates creativity, kindness, and our planet’s future through storytime, eco-crafts, and a book signing.
Plus attendees will enjoy 20% off any toy or gift purchase in the store with a book purchase that day!
This event is a chance for kids to dive into the story, create their own art, and become “Future Earth Heroes” while having a blast.
Event Schedule
I’m thrilled to share that we will soon have a special book reading and eco-workshop for my children’s book, Healing Our World: Flourishing Years Ahead, on Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Children’s World, 4525 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233.
This fun-filled event, perfect for kids ages 4–8, celebrates creativity, kindness, and our planet’s future through storytime, eco-crafts, and a book signing.
Plus attendees will enjoy 20% off any toy or gift purchase in the store with a book purchase that day!
This event is a chance for kids to dive into the story, create their own art, and become “Future Earth Heroes” while having a blast.
Event Schedule
10:00–10:30 AM – Welcome & Storytime
Meet me and enjoy a lively reading of Healing Our World. We’ll explore colorful illustrations and spark imagination with fun questions like, “What animals do you see?”
Meet me and enjoy a lively reading of Healing Our World. We’ll explore colorful illustrations and spark imagination with fun questions like, “What animals do you see?”
10:30–11:00 AM – “Healing Our World” Mural
Kids will draw or collage their vision of a healed Earth on a giant paper globe, celebrating trees, oceans, and kindness.
Kids will draw or collage their vision of a healed Earth on a giant paper globe, celebrating trees, oceans, and kindness.
11:00–11:40 AM – Create-Your-Own Mini Book
Children craft their own mini books, imagining the world in 2052. Younger kids draw; older ones write and illustrate, signing as “Author + Illustrator.” Snap a photo at our Author Photo Booth!
Children craft their own mini books, imagining the world in 2052. Younger kids draw; older ones write and illustrate, signing as “Author + Illustrator.” Snap a photo at our Author Photo Booth!
11:40–12:10 PM – Waste Sorting Game + Movement Break
Stretch, wiggle, and play “Compost, Trash, Recycling?” to learn about sustainability, earning nature stickers.
Stretch, wiggle, and play “Compost, Trash, Recycling?” to learn about sustainability, earning nature stickers.
12:30–1:00 PM – Sharing, Q&A, and Book Signing
Kids share their mini books, ask about my creative process, and get signed copies of Healing Our World with a “Future Earth Hero” badge.
Kids share their mini books, ask about my creative process, and get signed copies of Healing Our World with a “Future Earth Hero” badge.
See you at Children's World, Sarasota for a day of eco-fun!
RSVP here
Warmly,
Marea Saldarriaga
Local Author & Illustrator
RSVP here
Warmly,
Marea Saldarriaga
Local Author & Illustrator
