There's a Rang-Tan in My Bedroom: How YOU can help save orangutans

Published on: 16 August 2019

There's a Rang-Tan in My Bedroom is a powerful new picture book reminding us that we can all make a difference in the world.

There's a Rang-Tan in My Bedroom front cover

Based on the Greenpeace animation that went viral at Christmas last year, James Sellick and Frann Preston-Gannon's book - with a forword by Dame Emma Thompson - tells the tale of a little girl who discovers an orangutan in her bedroom.

She can't understand why it's so angry about her shampoo and chocolate - but then it explains that the palm oil used to make them is leading to deforestation... and destroying his home.

Want to know more? Here are some key facts for children about orangutans and palm oil to help you and your family make a difference...

An orangutan in a tree

What are orangutans?

  • Orangutans live in south-east Asian rainforests, and spend most of their time up in the trees
  • They are one of the closest animal relatives to humans
  • There are only about 110,000 orangutans left in the world, as their habitats are being destroyed to make palm oil

An illustration of an orangutan watching a digger destroy the rainforest

What is Palm oil?

  • Palm oil comes from the fruits of palm trees
  • It is used in lots of things, from chocolate and crisps to shampoo and soap
  • Lots of rainforest habitats are destroyed to make space for palm oil plantations

Products featuring palm oil

What you can do to help...

  • Tell everyone you know that palm oil destroys rainforests and harms animals
  • Ask your parents to try to buy less things that have palm oil in them
  • Write a letter to a company that uses palm oil, asking them to help save the rainforests

An illustration of children fighting back against palm oil

There's a Rang-tan in My Bedroom by James Sellick, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon is published by Wren & Rook (in conjunction with Greenpeace) in hardback, £12.99.


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