April is Save the Environment Month on TTLG - A review

Here is another environmental title that I think parents and teachers will find very useful.

Simple steps toward a healthier Earth

Molly Smith

Illustrated by Tad Carpenter

Nonfiction

Ages 10 and up

Chronicle Books, 2010, 978-0-8118-7141-9

   Almost every day we are bombarded with news articles, television shows, and radio programs about the state of our environment. The situation can seem overwhelming, and many young people wonder how they can “possibly make a difference.” The truth is that one person can make a difference simply by implementing “little choices every day” that can help our planet.

   This book is full of activities that will help young people to better understand how their everyday choices both help and harm our home. There are five chapters in all, and at the end of each there is a list of “simple steps” that we can all follow to make our lives greener and more environmentally friendly.

   The author begins by looking at “Energy and Climate.” There is a short introduction about energy and climate and how they are related, and then the activities begin. These include coloring pages, a crossword, a word jumble, experiments, and much more. By the time readers have completed the chapter, they will better understand (among other things) how to conserve energy and what a carbon footprint is.

   Other chapters in the book look at “Water and Oceans, “Land and Animals,” “Health and Food,” and “Waste and Recycling.”

   Both teachers and parents are sure to find this book very useful as they try to find informative and interesting ways to help their children better understand their relationship with our planet.

April is Save the Environment Month on TTLG - A revview

Here is another book for TTLG's Save the Environment Month. 

I can save the Ocean

Allison Inches

Illustrated by Viviana Garofoli

Picture Book

Ages 4 to 6

Simon and Schuster, 2010, 9781416995142

   One day Max, the Little Green Monster, goes to the beach to have a picnic. Max loves the ocean, but he does not like having to clean up his picnic things. Then Max goes snorkeling, and instead of seeing fish and other ocean creatures, all he sees are pieces of trash. How can anyone enjoy the ocean if it is full of plastic bottles, old tires, and broken toys?

   There and then Max decides to clean up the trash from his picnic so that it does not end up in the ocean. However he doesn’t stop there. Soon he is picking up other people’s trash as well, and he decides that he needs to do more to make sure that the ocean stays clean.

   This amusing little book will introduce children to the idea that we all need to do our part to keep our environment trash-free. With the funny green monster as their guide, children will discover that many of their actions can impact the environment in unexpected ways, but at the same time there are things that they can do to make the world a cleaner, healthier, and more beautiful place.

   A glossary at the back of the book provides young readers with more information about the topics discussed in the book.


Don't forget that there are many other titles about Saving the Environment on the TTLG website. 

Earth Friendly toys

A few weeks ago I was thumbing through a magazine when I saw an article about a line of toys that are being made by Mary Meyer, a company in Vermont. The line is called Earthmates and there are three collections: Fuzz that Wuzz, Bamboo, and Organics. I contacted the people at Mary Meyer and asked them so send me some information about the toys, which they did. In fact they were kind enough to send me a sample animal from the Fuzz that Wuzz collection, and he is sitting on my desk as I write this blog post. Here is some information about the Earthmates toys.

Fuzz that Wuzz is a collection of cuddly companions made from plastic bottles. The outer fabric and the stuffing are both high-quality polyester fiber made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. These toys feel as good as they look while helping to reduce waste. Each toy keeps 10 bottles out of landfills. The companions include an assortment of beloved friends: puppies, dogs, hounds, bunnies, bears, cats, moose, elephants, lions, penguins, turtles and more. All are designed to be loveable, pleasing toys that minimize waste as they are made from recycled products.

 According to Kevin Meyer, president of Mary Meyer, “Our intention is to do our part to set a course for a more sustainable future that minimizes waste, recycles and maximizes the uses of recycled materials. There is a long way to go but we are proud of what we have done with the Fuzz that Wuzz and all the EarthMates collection.” The Fuzz that Wuzz toys include dogs, a cat, a cow, teddy bears, a turtle, a horse, a rabbit, a monkey (which is what I have), an elephant, and a lion. There is also a six piece collection of Fuzz that Wuzz minis.

Landfill Facts: Two million plastic bottles are used in the United States every ten minutes and 51 billion go into landfills annually. It will take 700 years before plastic bottles in landfills start to decompose. Less than 30percent of the plastic bottles in the United States are actually recycled. 

Bamboo is a collection of soft, easy-to-clean, sophisticated baby toys. These toys feature a gentle color pallet, and baby friendly designs. The toys are made of 80% bamboo and 20% polyester creating a soft, natural toy with all the durability and washability needed to survive as a child’s companion. In this collection there are three blanket animals, rattles and "Squeakums," and a variety of stuffed animals that include birds, a mouse, a horse, and a rabbit.

Organics use only 100% certified organic cotton fabrics and stuffing to produce the softest, safest, most huggable toys. They are all made without the use of toxins, harmful pesticides, chemicals or dyes.  All colorants are tested to meet and exceed the most stringent global safety standards. Held to the highest standards and made from the highest quality, all natural, earth-friendly materials, these toys will delight children while helping to protect and preserve our environment. This line also includes rattles, blanket toys, and stuffed animals. 

You can find out more about these toys and purchase them at www.marymeyer.com. I promise you that the child (or children) in your life will love to receive any of these toys. 

April is Save the Environment Month on TTLG - A review

For Save the Environment Month I have found several delightful board books for little children. Here is my review of one of them.

This is our world: A Story about taking care of the Earth

Emily Sollinger

Illustrated by Jo Brown

Board/Novelty Book

Ages 2 to 5

Simon and Schuster, 2010, 978-1-4169-7821-3

   Many children are natural environmentalists. Without being told a great deal about why we should preserve and protect the environment, they are eager to do their part because it makes sense to them. This charming little board book will giving budding young environmentalists all kinds of information about what they can do to make the planet happier. Not only that, but every double page spread contains a puzzle piece that children can remove and then use to create a puzzle in the back of the book.

   On every double page spread one aspect of environmental action is explored. Children will learn about planting trees, cleaning up a beach, how to make something useful out of recycled items, and why planting a family garden helps everyone. With warm and bright illustrations and an easy to follow text, this is a perfect book to share with little children.

  

April is Save the Environment Month on TTLG - A review - April 14th

Welcome to another review for Save the Environment Month on TTLG. This title is a little different, and it will appeal to gardeners and environmentalists alike. Children will love the idea that there is a way to turn household garbage into something that is useful. It might not be glamorous to compost, but it certainly can be fun!


Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth

Mary McKenna Siddals

Illustrated by Ashley Wolff

Picture Book

Ages 5 to 8

Tricycle Press, 2010, 978-1-58246-316-2

   You may not know this, but there are many ways to recycle. Of course you can take bottles, cans, newspapers, and boxes to the recycling center, but you can also recycle other things – you can compost items from your home and turn them into good rich soil that you can use in your garden.

   So what is composting anyway? Composting is when you take biodegradable items and put them in a bin of some sort. Over time what you put into this bin will break down and turn into soil that you can give back to Mother Earth.

   This book gives you a “recipe” for “environmental chefs” who want to know how to make compost. The ingredients are easy to find and include “Apple cores/Bananas, bruised/Coffee grounds with filters, used.” In fact, all your ingredients for your compost stew are things that you would normally put into a trash can. Add “Kitchen scraps/Laundry lint from dryer traps” to your compost mix, then water it, mix it, and let it sit, and very soon you will have a “dark and crumbly, rich and sweet” gift for Mother Earth.

   This wonderful rhyming picture book will show children how easy, and how fun, composting can be. Children will come to see that composting is yet another way that we can do our part for the environment. With delightful multimedia pictures on ever page (created in part by using recycled and found materials) and a catchy text, this is a perfect book to share with children who are eager to “be green.”

  

The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge - A review

Here is my first review for TTLG's Save the Environment Month. Enjoy!

The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge

Joanna Cole

Illustrated by Bruce Degen

Picture Book

Ages 7 to 9

Scholastic, 2010, 978-0-590-10826-3

   Ms. Frizzle and her class are going to put on a play about the Earth and “all the changes” that are taking place all over the planet because of global warming. One morning Ms. Frizzle brings in a book for the children to use to help them create pictures for the scenery for their play. Unfortunately, the book is rather out of date and Ms. Frizzle decides that the children need to go on a field trip so that they can better understand what is happening to the Earth and why.

   The adventure begins in the Arctic Sea, and when the children compare the picture in Ms. Frizzle’s book with what they are seeing outside of the school bus window, they quickly realize that there is a lot less ice outside then there was some years ago. Apparently, an area of ice the size of “Texas and California combined” has melted in the Arctic.

   The school bus (actually, it is a plane at this point) flies all over the planet and the children see how global warming is causing problems all over the planet. They see crops being destroyed by freakish weather, rising sea levels, melting permafrost, drought, blizzards, and much more. The question is what is causing all these changes? What is global warming and why is it happening?

   In this excellent Magic School Bus title, children are given a very clear and comprehensive picture of what global warming is, why it is happening, and what all of us can do to protect our home planet from global warming in the future. As with all the Magic School Bus titles this book is packed with information that is presented in a way that is both interesting and visually engaging.

You can find out more about the book on the official book page

Find out more information on Ms. Frizzle’s April 20th Webcast:

Climb on board with author Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degen on Tuesday, April 20th at 1pm ET / 10am PT as they join Ms. Frizzle to celebrate Earth Day and their new book The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey! Simply register online, then tune in on April 20th and join the fun! Visit the webcast website to register. 

FTC disclaimer: Reviewed from a copy provided by the publisher

April is Save the Environment Month on TTLG

In the current issue of Through the Looking Glass the special feature is Saving the Environment. I have a wonderful collection of books reviewed in this feature, but I also wanted to add to this content by making April TTLG's Save the Environment Month. Every week during April I will be posting additional reviews, articles and more about saving the environment.

I would like to begin by telling you about a unique environment organization called Kids For Saving Earth that was founded by a boy called Clinton.

"Clinton Hill was special......not because cancer tragically took his life at the age of eleven, but because the life he lived displayed courage and sensitivity to the world around him.

He couldn't understand what we were doing to our planet -- we dumped poisons into our skies and rivers and showed neglect for our precious plants and animals. How, he wondered, could we do such things? Of course, we all continue to wonder. But here is where Clint was different. He didn't just wonder. He acted. He started a club for kids, dedicated to peaceful Earth-saving actions. The first club was in his school, Sunny Hollow Elementary in New Hope, Minnesota.

After Clint died, his mother, Tessa, and father, William, carried on Clint's dream of a healthy planet by establishing Kids for Saving Earth(KSE) as a nonprofit organization. Tessa was a teacher so she new that the best way to educate and inspire children is through interested teachers and parents. Since 1989, Kids for  Saving Earth has provided "Education into Action" curriculum to thousands of instructors and parents. As a result there are now hundreds of thousands of kids and grown-ups all over the planet working to protect the Earth. KSE kids gave speeches at the UN, rode on a KSE float in President Bill Clinton's inaugural parade, influenced environmental legislation, greened their schools and participated in thousands of other grass roots activities to help protect our environment.

The mission of Kids for Saving Earth is to educate, inspire, and empower children to protect the Earth's environment. Kids for Saving Earth provides educational materials, posters, and a highly acclaimed web site featuring environmental education curriculum and activities. Many of our programs have been adapted to the Internet to make it faster and less costly to provide Earth-savers with updated information. Through Kids for Saving Earth's Green Shop you can order educational posters, certificates, guidebooks, CD's, "green" gifts and supplies, and much more.

A few examples of environmental programs KSE offers include: Let the Forest Be With You, The Arctic is Cool, The KSE Rainforest, The Rock the World Concert Kit and CD, The KSE Action Guide, The Little Kids Guide for Teachers, The Call to Action, The Wonderful World of Water and much more. Also KSE sends a monthly KSE Conserving Classroom Calendar and a quarterly E-Pa News to all members.  If you are interested in receiving these educational programs, sign up for one of our membership options.

You can join Kids for Saving Earth as a free member and receive an educational packet or you can join as a paid member and receive The KSE Action Guide or Little Kids Guide for Teachers and receive KSE

Promise certificates. Click here to learn more and join KSE.

Kids for Saving Earth is a 501C3 non-profit organization with an all volunteer board of directors. Donations to Kids for Saving Earth are tax deductible."

If you have a child (or children in your life) who cares about the environment visit the KFSE website and show them that there are so many things that they can do to make the world a healthier place to live.