As wildfires rage across the west, Paula Henson is hoping to turn the page on the devastation caused by massive fires.

"It’s a very topical issue right now," Henson said.

Wildfires have become so commonplace that they no longer have a season. California is currently on track to exceed 2020 for acreage and number of wildfires.

Henson spent 13 years teaching preschool in Santa Monica and now works at a private elementary school.

"The big thing about any environmental issue is to make sure that kids are not scared and freaked out about stuff because it’s very easy to talking about things, and it’s scary," she said.

Some friends asked Henson to write a children’s book to go along with their art exhibition near Lake Tahoe about the history of forest fires in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The book is called, “Who Needs a Forest Fire?” and focuses on the Native Americans and their previous relationship with the land.

"They were there for thousands and thousands of years before the Europeans came, and they actually took care of the forest in a way that created a balance," Henson said.

But Henson said that all changed after the California Gold Rush.

"It was less about trying to live in harmony with nature and more about, how can we use these resources for profit," she said.

Henson explained that when trees are seen as commodities, fires become the enemy, and forests can quickly become overgrown.

"There’s just too much fuel, too much to burn, and of course, drought makes that worse," Henson said.

The illustrations by Sue Todd and Emily Underwood are meant to have a woodcut look that goes along with the forest theme.

"Plants need forest fires, animals need forest fires, but not massive, destructive forest fires, but more small, controlled fires," Henson said.

The book is aimed fourth and fifth graders who are studying California History. Henson said it’s a good subject for kids because it’s both dramatic and relatable.

"They’re the next generation coming up, so they’ll be part of the solution," she said. "I try to tie things in to the curriculum, so in the book, there’s a lot of educational information and ties to the California state curriculum standards."

Henson hopes it becomes a teaching tool not only in classrooms, but also in homes all over California.  About half the book is full of educational resources and comes with a free downloadable teacher’s guide.

As for that title, "I think when people think about fire at all, but especially about forest fires, it’s like, 'Well, who needs that? Ugh. No one wants that,'" Henson said.

So, who needs a forest fire?

"We all do," Henson said with a laugh.

It's a lesson California can’t afford to ignore.