One of the gifts my son received for his 2nd birthday was a subscription to Wild Animal Baby published by the National Wildlife Federation. The magazine is printed on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper. Wild Animal Baby is a children’s magazine for the age range 12 months to 4 yrs.

Wild Animal Baby is a wonderful way to get your toddler involved in reading at an early age. The magazine encourages children to get outdoors and appreciate nature. My son loves to get the mail and often asks to check the mailbox for his monthly copy of Wild Animal Baby.

Wild Animal Baby is just the right size for toddler hands. The pictures are bright and engaging and it is filled with several interactive activities for your child. Including I spy, letter/color/shape recognition, songs with illustration motions, captivating stories, child participation and much more.

My son loves to look for Sammy Skunk! I enjoy reading Wild Animal Baby to him because it is  educational and entertaining. We burn up some good time going through the pages and doing the activities.

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Indoor entertainment certainly has its place but when they get outside to play or just enjoy a sunny day they get exercise and they connect with nature. Richard’s Louv’s book Nature Deficit Disorder is just full of reasons why we need to make a conscious effort to get our kids out of doors.

One simple way to do this is to take story time or homework outdoors.

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This post was originally published on Wednesday, June 25, 2008.

The Chicago Tribune reported earlier this month (and thanks to Treehugger for the update) that Chicago’s Mayor Richard Daley announced on a summer reading program with a green focus, named “Read Green, Live Green” program.

The program, which will run until the beginning of August, includes, according to the Tribune, a series of discussion groups aimed at celebrating nature and the threats against it. The program will be offering books, reading tours and performances for adults and children on environmental issues including climate change, energy and farming.

Children and adults will be able to explore the environment with a good read during the summer at any of the 79 Chicago Public Library branches.

Participating children will read, report on books of their choosing and have fun with green programs and projects. Children will receive a sticker for their book log for each book read, win book prizes and earn a Read Green, Live Green t-shirt by reading lots of books!The list of events for children can be found here - http://www.chipublib.org/dir_documents/SRP08_Kidsa.pdf.

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Two weeks ago we started with a new series ‘My Green Bookshelf’, where we’re taking a look at the reading habits of interesting people from the green world with special focus on their green reading.

As a small token of appreciation to our guest on the series, Eco-Libris will plant with its planting partners 50 new trees on behalf of each and every participant!

Today we are very excited to have with us a special guest from France: Sophie Young, the founder of g=9.8 (http://www.g98.fr/).

g=9.8 is an organic lingerie and loungewear brand g=9.8 offers a unique combination of seductive ecology: naturally sensual, combined with the velvety touch of pine fiber. Yes, all the sexy items manufactured by g=9.8 are made from a fiber originating in the branches of white pine (the pine trees used to produce this material are grown specifically for this use and new ones are replanted to replace ones used for production). Production is made locally in France.

Sophie graduated in 1995 from the University of Architecture in Paris. Her work focused on the creation of a recycling site in the center of Paris, visited as a museum. In 2005, after several years working in architecture, she founded g=9.8 in order to create a line of underwear respectful of eco-principles, such as minimizing the water consumption in the industrial production, eco-packaging, waste recycling and eco-marketing.

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I don’t know about you, but when I read about green celebrities, CEOs of green companies, and other green figures, I’m always curious - what do these people read? What’s their favorite green book? How many green books they have on their bookshelf? So I decided that it’s time to try and get some answers.

Hence we begin today a new series - ‘My Green Bookshelf’. In this series we will take a look at the reading habits of interesting people from the green world with special focus on their green reading. As a small token of appreciation to our guests in the series, Eco-Libris will plant 50 new trees on behalf of each and every participant with its planting partners!

Our first guest in the series is Ron Gonen, the co-founder and CEO of RecycleBank.

RecycleBank is a Philadelphia based company that has revolutionized municipal recycling in America, by initiating a brilliant recycling program that rewards people for recycling at home. RecycleBank, which was founded in 2004, currently provides service in more than 35 municipalities in the states of Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.

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“What is the one book, other than the Bible, that you would take with you into the White House as the next president?”

But as soon as I heard the question, my irrational fascination with all things green led me to wonder, what book with an environmental theme would I consider to be an essential read for the next president. I thought about that question a lot and came up with too many answers.  Please help me flesh these out a little by helping me answer the green version of Katie Couric’s question: 

[Other than the Bible] what ‘green’ book should the next president take into the White House?

Leave a comment with the name of the green-themed book you think is a must read for the incoming president and you could win a book yourself. Here’s the catch, you’ve got to make a case for it.

Valid entries will consist of a reply that is concise, clearly articulated and well-reasoned. One submission meeting those very simple requirements will be randomly drawn to win a copy of …

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The Green Series: Eco Kids Books

I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately on how families and children can “go green” without spending a fortune. Let’s face it: bamboo cribs, cork floors and reusable diapers aren’t for everyone. Additionally, there’s an issue about how to teach kids about the environment. Parents and caregivers are in a position to either foster an appreciation for the natural world, or, unfortunately, terrify their kids into submission (no more polar bears!).

The truth of the matter is, media can sometimes play a hindering role in eco-education, challenging families to stay indoors and watch TV rather than go outside and jump in the leaves. But not all the time. Children’s media has its role on the green bandwagon, too. So with that idea comes the first in what will hopefully be more of Children’s Media Consultant’s The Green Series.

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Fire Race is beautifully illustrated by Sylvia Long, and the illustrations hold true to Karuk traditions in the garb of the animal characters. For example, Coyote wears a basket cap traditional to the Karuk Tribe. The Karuk Tribe resides in far northern California along the Klamath River. Fire Race tells the traditional tale of how Coyote appealed to the vanity of the yellow jacket sisters to steal their fire. The race begins, with many local animals passing the fire to one another as the yellow jacket sisters chase them. Eventually, the fire is swallowed into the wood, where it is stored today for us to burn and stay warm.

I just love this book! It has always been one of my favorites as a teacher and a parent. There are so many things to discuss, such as the vanity of the Yellow Jacket Sisters and the cooperative effort of the animals. I love to connect the story to our hearth for our children, as we give thanks for the warmth our woodstove provides us. It is a gift from the land.

With all the changes to Eco Child’s Play, I have started a new blog on children’s literature. Good Friends, Good Books. It is in its infancy, but I am excited to have started a new adventure in blogging. The purpose of this new blog is to review children’s literature, as well as provide a space that teachers, parents, and children can submit their own reviews of favorite books. Eventually, there will be free prizes for children’s submissions, and of course, funds will be donated to the Literacy Site.

Spiders Spin Webs is written by Yvonne Winer and illustrated by Karen Lloyd-Jones. Each page begins with the line, “Spiders spin webs….” and features rhyming words and amazing, detailed illustrations. For example,

Spiders Spin Webs is full of rare words, like filigreed, that expand children’s growing vocabulary. Reading this book gives children (and adults) appreciation of these little eight legged creatures that invade our homes and Halloween hearts.

The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond could end after the alphabet is over, but there is much, much more! The “Beyond” portion of The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyondprovides recipes, fun facts, geography, links to other great children’s literature on the letter or fruit/vegetable, jokes, tongue twisters, etc. This is a great resource for parents, teachers, homeschoolers, etc. to extend the nutritional and alphabet lesson.

ABC books are great for young children. They offer an enjoyable method to expose children to the alphabet. The more exposure children have to letters, the more they will notice their characteristics, etc. ABC literature is an effective method for letter introduction and reinforcement, and it is much more developmentally appropriate method than direct instruction. The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyondoffers a fun way for children to learn about nutrition in the context of the alphabet. I can’t way to try out some of the recipes!

Plenty Magazine and E: The Environmental Magazine cover general green issues of the day and include special features and interviews with green leaders, book and movie reviews, new products,and practical tips.

Then there’s magazines from enviro organizations such as Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council. For architecture and design there’s Metropolis and Dwell. ReadyMade magazine has a lot of fun how-to and DIY projects. For home improvement and energy topics, check out Smart Home Owner magazine, Home Energy, or Home Power.

Victoria E reviews Body + Soul Magazine monthly for GO and has just checked out the September 2007 issue. And keep an eye out for special green issues of other magazines. Recently Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, and Domino all had dedicated green issues, and as GO’s Noelle d’Estries pointed out, People Magazine’s Most Beautiful List featured a handfull of eco-friendly celebs.

When you’re finished reading pass your copy along to someone else, or recycle it. Or bypass the print edition altogether and read it online. Plus, most magazines (green or not) have additional features online between their monthly, or bi-monthly issues.

Amy says: One of my personal favorites is GOOD. GOOD Magazine just turned one year old, and literally focuses on good things in the world, from people to technologies that are helping make the world a better place. Plus 100% of subscription money goes towards a non-profit organization of your choice.

Of course there are more green magazines out there - what are your favorites? Leave a comment below.

More on magazines from GO:

Smart HomeOwner: Better Home, Better Planet

Weekend Review: Body+Soul Magazine, September 2007

Magazine Review: Body+Soul, July/August 2007

Weekend Review: Body+Soul Magazine, June 2007

Green Celebs: People Magazine’s Most Beautiful List Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts + Leonardo DiCaprio

Magazine Review: Rolling Stone’s Green Issue

Daily Tip: Extend the Life of Your Magazines

Has Vanity Fair Tainted its Well-Intentioned Africa Issue?

The Green List on Newsstands Now

Sports Illustrated’s Hottest Cover Ever

Do you have a tip you’d like to share? Send it to us. If it’s published you’ll recieve Wind Power Cards from Renewable Choice Energy.

The green classics. For the nature loving, conservationists look for notable authors such as Aldo Leopold, and Henry David Thoreau. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, the book that created an awareness of the effects of DDT, could be considered as green reading 101, as it is the book that nearly all environmentalists have on their shelf. Green design concept, Cradle to Cradle, by William McDonough and Michael Braungart also falls into that category.

Other notable authors to consider include biologist E.O. Wilson, Paul Hawken (Ecology of Commerce, Natural Capitalism), Bill McKibben (End of Nature), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma), David Quammen (Monster of God) or Janine Benyus (Biomimicry).

Green tech. If you want to get a little more technical check out titles from Amory Lovins (Winning the Oil Endgame), books on green technology such as The Clean Tech Revolution, or Joseph Romm’s The Hype About Hydrogen, or other renewable energy books such as The Renewable Energy Handbook or Smart Power.

Kids books. You can even get your kids reading green. GO’s Kelli Best-Oliver , and Jennifer Lance have discussed children’s literature with green topics.

Green living. There is no shortage of books on how-to’s and tips on greening your life. For living and eating local, check out Barbara Kingslover’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, or Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally by Alisa Smith and J. B. MacKinnon. For simple tips, A Slice of Organic Life has a lot to offer. For green building and architecture GO’s Philip Proefrock has reviewed Ten Shades of Green: Architecture and the Natural World.

Of course this is not a complete list. What books would you recommend?

Amy says: Some of my personal favorites are Power to the People, Vijay Vaitheeswaran; Green to Gold, Daniel Esty and Andrew Winston; The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan; Big Coal, Jeff Goodell.

What to do when you’re finished reading? Here’s a daily tip on what to do with books you’re ready to pass on.

Environmental Defense’s Most Inspirational Book List

Grinning Planet’s list of environmental reads

Books reviewed by GO:

Weekend Book Review: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Book Review: Bill McKibben’s Hope, Human and Wild

Green Building Tour: Ten Shades of Green — Book Review

Weekend Book Review: The Rough Guide to Shopping with a Conscience

Paul Hawken Releases New Book, Tour to Stop in So Cal

Kids Will Love Green-Themed Novel

Green Family Values: Environmental Children’s Literature

How To Survive Global Warming – The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook

Weekend Review: A Slice of Organic Life

[Bio]Fueling the Next Engine for Economic Growth

Weekend Review: The World Without Us and Children of Men

Weekend Review: "Plenty" a Satisfying Read

Weekend Review: The Renewable Energy Handbook and Smart Power

Kelli Best-Oliver’s Green Reads

The Carrot Seed has just celebrated its 60th anniversary! This simple, almost Zen-like story tells of a young boy’s determination to grow a carrot, despite his family’s doubts and opposition. The little boy tends the seed, ever patient, keeping his expectations high. In the end, he is rewarded with a carrot so large, it has to be hauled with a wheelbarrow. Not only does this book teach the basics of growing a plant from seed to harvest, but also children learn how to persist in the face of opposition. It is unfortunate that the boy’s parents are not supportive of his efforts, but the boy triumphs in the end. Crockett Johnson’s simple illustrations, reminiscent of his other famous work Harold and the Purple Crayon, match this minimalist tale of gardening and positive attitude. Planting carrot seeds, especially in a root viewer, is a great extension of the story in the classroom.

For more great children’s literature reviews on gardening books, please visit Green Family Values: Children’s Literature on Gardening/Green Options.

Only 6 days left to leave a comment and enter our monthly drawing for a hemp Eco Child’s Play bag.

Lynne Cherry’s illustrations are detailed and realistic, something that is often missing from children’s books that try to create cutesy animals to entertain children. How Groundhog’s Garden Grewis also full of very useful information about gardening, and as one reviewer wrote, “It would be impossible for a child to hear this story and not learn something of vital importance, about everything from the complicated interdependence of the natural world to the simple effectiveness of composting and going pesticide-free. Parents be forewarned: It’s also probably impossible to read How Groundhog’s Garden Grew and not have your child want to plant a garden.” How Groundhog’s Garden Grew leaves the readers feeling good and learning important lessons about community participation and sharing,as well as gardening!

Check out other Lynne Cherry’s books for your children too! She is great author and illustrator! We have previously reviewed one of her other books The Great Kapok Tree.

My Body My House begins with a man living in a healthy home, surrounded by trees, heated with wood, and providing a garden with fresh vegetables. Soon, the Body (man) begins to notice his neighbors and feel the need to “keep up with the Jones’s”. He begins to remodel his home, wanting to do so cheaply and not concerned with the toxicity of the buidling materials. He replaces hardwood floors with carpeting, seals the windows, uses insecticides to kill bugs, etc. The House continues to warn the Body he is creating an unhealthy environment, but the Body continues to remodel. “‘But you don’t understand,’ the House started to gush. ‘My air now contains pollution and dust. You’ve added new things. I’m no longer the same. Look in the mirror, only YOU are to blame.’” The Body continues to become ill from the indoor air quality, until he eventually opens a window, breathes in fresh air, and discovers the error of his ways. “He reached his arms out and hugged his dear friend. ‘Don’t worry, wise House, these problems I’ll mend!’ Then he skipped out the door, not a minute to spare, spotting all of his friends as he leaped in the air. Butterflies, trees, birds, bugs-everyone. And the Body now realized we are woven in one.”

My almost six-year old daughter enjoyed My Body My House; however, there were a few aspects of the book she said she would have changed. First, the text does not follow a consistent rhyming pattern. Some lines rhyme, some do not. When reading orally, a rhythm begins to develop on some passages, only to be abruptly changed a few lines later. In addition, it bothered her that the character was referred to as the Body throughout the book. I understand the author’s choice of the Body to reinforce the parallels between our homes and our bodies; however, this choice created an awkard storytelling experience. The goal of the story to educate parents and children about the relationship of our homes to our health and the environment is good, yet the awkardness of the text makes me think this book will not stand the test of time as a great environmental children’s book. The illustrations match the light, whimisical text well.

If you would like to read more of this review, please visit Green Options: Green Family Values: My Body My House Review.

Sign up for an online book exchange service. If you're searching for a particular title or want to share some of your recent reads with others check out some online book swaps such as BookMooch or PaperBack Swap (recommended by GO's Philip Proefrock.) All you need is an e-mail account, mailing address and some books to get going. Right now both sites are free to use - the only cost is the postage used to mail your book to its new owner.

There's also BookCrossing, an online forum/book club that promotes the act of leaving books and picking them up in public places. I've come across many books this way and have left some for others in return.

Buy used. The most obvious tip here is the used book store. You can usually find popular titles on the shelves for way less than the new book price. Plus you're likely to find more obscure reads. Often times if you are looking for a specific book the proprietor can track down those hard to find books for you.

Look for books at garage sales, flea markets or swap meets. Paperbacks frequently go for a quarter, and hard covers a dollar. The selection may not be fantastic, but definitely a great bargain.

Library. Duh. You know, the place where you can borrow books for free.

Donate your unwanted books. Many used book stores and libraries also accept books for donation. Used book stores may even give you store credit or cash for books they think they can resell. But call first before you drop off to make sure the location near you is accepting donations. (I recently lugged a stack of books to my neighborhood used book store only to be told that they weren't accepting donations at the moment.)

Swap books with friends. I'm always reading books on the recommendation of others. If a friend recommends it chances are they've got the book. Ask to borrow it. Or if you're doing the book lending (especially if you want the book back) put your name in it. If you don't like to defile books, or the permanence of pen scares you, just write you name in pencil inside the front cover or on the first page.

Amy says: I've got a secret obsession for mystery novels and I never buy them new and get them for free when I can.

More GO book news:
Save the Books
Tip o' the Day: Take Three Books and Call Me in the Morning

Read about how No Impact Man, Colin Beavan came to terms with giving up some of his books.