Green Options » eco kids' books

Eco Kids’ Books: BogeyBugz Series

Jennifer Lance — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:30:08 +0000

The BogeyBugz is a series of four environmental adventures by Martin Lever. The books are inspired by five-year-old Remi Gene Lever and follow the BogeyBugz Manifesto:

NOBODY NoSE WheRE theY CamE from.

BUT THEY’RE HERE, HAND-PICKED TO SAVE the WORLD.

BEFORE BEDTIME.

BeCauSE EVERY NOW and AGAIN,

MOTHER NATURE NEEDS SOMEONE

TO PICK-IT FOR THE PLANET

The BUGZ don’t condone nose picking…destruction of the forests or any other anti-social habits.

I absolutely love the illustrations in these books and the fact that the destruction of the forest is considered anti-social behavior (would someone please tell the Bush administration?); however, the resolutions in the stories don’t really work with the environmental problems they are trying to solve. The end page of each book is filled with “facterias” that I wish were more part of the plot of each environmental adventure.

Eco Kids’ Books: Recycle!: A Handbook for Kids by Gail Gibbons

Jennifer Lance — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 02:50:01 +0000

16 years ago, Gail Gibbons wrote Recycle!: A Handbook for Kids, but not much has changed since then. Recycling is still an important green practice, and this informative book printed on recycled paper gives parents, teachers, and children a straightforward explanation how recycling works and why we should do it. There is soo much information in this book, that even I learned something new when reading it the first time.

Gail Gibbons is well known for her children’s non-fiction books. From Weather Forecasting to Chicks & Chickens, the text and illustrations are loaded with detailed information. Recycle! is no exception. The book begins by talking about the problem of garbage and how to dispose of it. Recycling is presented as a solution that can “cut down the amount of trash we make.” From a simple explanation of recycling, Gail breaks down the specifics of recycling paper, glass, cans, plastic, and polystyrene. She explains how each is made, recycled, and reused.

It takes lime, soda ash, and sand, called silica, to make glass. These three elements are mixed together and heated at a very high temperature to make a glassy liquid. Measured amounts, sometimes dyed, are dropped into forming machines, where the liquid hardens to make bottles and jars. Many products come in glass bottles or jars. Sometimes, when they are through being used, they are just thrown away. It would take thousands of years for them to biodegrade at a landfill. Instead, these bottles and jars could be reused. RECYCLE!

Eco Kids’ Books: How to Turn Your Parents Green

Jennifer Lance — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:05:04 +0000

I have learned from our readers that there are two sources for green motivation in families: the parents or the children. Eco moms and eco dads obviously pass on their green values to their children, but sometimes it is the children themselves that inspire a family to go green. I was one such child growing up that converted to vegetarianism (I did not get my family to do the same), and made my parents aware of environmental issues. My influence was not seen immediately, but I look at my dad’s avid recycling and my sister’s organic food choices and can’t help but think that my green values may have rubbed off on them. Now, there is a book to help children turn their parents green.

How to Turn Your Parents Green, by James Russell and illustrated by Oivind Hovland, is a humorous book for kids ages 8-80 (you are never too old to turn your parents green). This book helps alleviate eco-anxiety by empowering children. “The premise for the book is that grown-ups (the Groans) are responsible for causing global warming, but it’s you (the kids) who will have to deal with the consequences.” The tips in the book are what you would expect, such as eating organically, riding your bike, and turning off light bulbs; but the format is unique in suggesting how children can approach their parents. One suggestions is presenting your parents with a list of poisons in the household, such as cleaners, then giving them a month to switch to natural products. There’s even a section on how to turn your teachers green!