Published on July 29th, 2009
Have you ever heard the urban legend about alligators living in the sewers of New York City? Well if you want to know the truth, look no farther than The Underground Gators written by our very own Tina Casey! Tina actually worked in the sewers of New York City for the Department of Environmental Protection, so she knows the real scoop on alligators living under the Big Apple.
The Underground Gators is a delightful, imaginative story about NYC alligators that also explains such mysteries as to why school buses are yellow and socks go missing from the washing machine. Booklist writes:
This slapstick picture book begins by dispelling the urban myth about alligators living in the sewers of New York City: “To be honest, nobody has ever really seen them.” Then Casey hedges a bit. Just because there hasn’t been an eyewitness, she reasons, doesn’t mean that the alligators aren’t there. Together, Casey and Munsinger try to make a case for the ’gators’ existence, and the result is this over-the-top, comedic offering. All kinds of mysteries can be explained, it seems, by adding the alligator angle. Why are manholes round? So that the pizzas that alligators love to order can be easily passed through. What do babysitters do after kids go to bed? They play cards with alligators. There is a lot more silliness than sense here, but Munsinger makes it work in hilarious scenes of the endearingly goofy reptiles marching through the human world, from summer school to a child’s bedroom, where they stand in for the tooth fairy.
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Published on July 28th, 2009
Oh, I hate to write a negative review, but sometimes you got to do what you got to do. Rumer & Qix: The Race to Terra Incognita by Kathleen S. Wilson is a book written for young adults, a demographic that is often ignored in the wave of green children’s literature that has been forthcoming. Most green children’s books target a younger audience, so I was excited to learn about Rumer & Qix, especially since my daughter is an avid reader and loved the Gaia Girls series and anxiously awaits the next book. Both my daughter and I were seriously disappointed in Rumer & Qix.
What’s wrong with Rumer & Qix? It’s confusing. The futuristic names are hard to follow and interfere with the story’s flow. Just consider the book description:
Rumer, a petite apprentice reporter for the 31st century Global Quotidien with a flair for fashion, loves zipping across Nanjing with her loyal sidekick, Qix, in search of stories. But now, she’s furious with her boss for asking her to cover the exploits of Alfa, the planet’s wealthiest mega-conglomerate. Her parents died in an Alfa accident and she can’t understand how he can be so insensitive. She escapes into the indie networks and soon finds herself puzzling over an image of a bizarre nature sighting. Ever since the flora and fauna were replaced with Alfa’s Syncov™ replicas eons earlier, sightings like this have been routinely dismissed. When ethereal voices relay a message confirming Rumer’s hunch that things are terribly amiss, she slips away on a globe-trotting quest for answers. An epic battle is brewing between Dr. BigCo, the powerful Alfa CEO, and his nemesis, MoNa, the vulnerable matriarch of the cosmos. Will Rumer be able to turn things around before it’s too late?
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Published on July 28th, 2009
They’re a staple of the season around here, but I don’t remember a single wildflower when I was growing up in the land of lawns and pesticide, and the truck that would drive around every few days and gas the neighborhood for mosquitoes (Did that happen in anyone else’s neighborhood, or was it just ours, because that just sounds CRAZY to me now), unless I saw them in ditches or on roadside medians from my backseat window in the car.
And that’s no way to see wildflowers.
My girls and I are very blessed where we live now to have a community that actively grows and encourages wildflowers, and several Backyard Wildlife Habitat homes that demonstrate the beauty of native growth.
I am adamant about the fact, however, that just experiencing a thing is, although critical, not enough. To love wildflowers, we just have to see them, sure. To understand them and be knowledgeable about them and know where they ought to live and how to protect them, we need good books. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 25th, 2009
I recently found the book Choose to Reuse (a green touch & feel book) while looking for an environmentally sound gift for a two year old.
What I like about this book: It’s produced sustainably. This fun story carries the message of reuse, which is the ultimate in recycling. In the story, a box becomes a princess castle and an old blue towel becomes a superhero cape. This delightful story entertains youngsters while giving them ideas for playtime and teaching a valuable lesson.
Our house is over-run with books because I fully believe in the value of reading. I also believe that owning books (and reading them together) is vital to a child’s development. (Disclaimer- Yes we do borrow a lot of books. We also frequently purchase secondhand books). If you are looking for a way to shed a few books (to make room for more, of course) or you want to start a service project with your children, check out EnviroMom’s suggestion for reusing old books.
If you own a few books which are beyond repair, here are some tips for reusing much of the book (remember to recycle whatever cannot be reused). Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 22nd, 2009
A 10 year old created clean up and recycling programs in her area, an 8 year old wrote and illustrated a book about butterflies that he sold then donated the money to the World Wildlife Fund, a 12 year old in Abu Dhabi created an awareness campaign about camels who die because of trash in the desert, a 15 helped create a garden and open air classroom that produced over 1000 pounds of organic produce that was used for school lunches and donated to needy families in the area. Another 15 year old in California devised tests for air purifiers that changed California legislation.
And that’s just a sample of what the winners of AFN’s 2009 Young Eco-Heroes Awards have done.
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Published on July 21st, 2009
I have two little girls, and I am NOT a fan of frightening picture books about environmentalism. At my girls’ young ages, their time is best spent learning to know and love nature, as well as internalizing such family activities as recycling and conserving energy, and leaving the bad stuff to us adults for a little while longer.
The time will come, however, when they’re a little older, when they’ll want to understand problems like pollution and extinction and global warming, and it will be my reluctant responsibility to give them some answers (if not some justification—that’s impossible). Although I’m a stay-at-home mom and not a librarian these days, I like to use my library science degree to create these reader’s guides to keep up with the best eco-friendly reading materials accessible to our children. Here are five books that manage to discuss environmentalism, both our earth’s problems and positive solutions to those problems, without being too frightening for young readers:
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Published on July 10th, 2009
“The Experiment- How do environmental conditions affect the amount of biogas produced?” If you are homeschooling like I am, entering a science fair or simply looking for a fun way to teach your children about our impact on this planet then Save the Earth Science Experiments, Science Fair Projects for Eco-Kids by Elizabeth Snoke Harris is the book for you.
This fun book (which I purchased through a Scholastic flier) is filled with experiments to get you thinking (and by YOU I do mean parents as well as the kids). The book begins with an introduction on problems occurring in the world which impact our global well being. It is then followed by a section on how to put together an effective Science Fair Project and more than 20 experiments that are related to our current environmental concerns. Throughout the book, you will find short stories and facts which detail a concern or in “The High Price of Ethanol” points out that a solution (biofuels) we think is better, is actually just as damaging. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 3rd, 2009
It’s summer vacation, and one thing parents often hear from children used to being stimulated by school all year is, “I’m bored!”. Personally, I am never bored, so I have little compassion when I hear my daughter issue this utterance, but I have found a new book that I think will help her overcome the doldrums. Let’s Go Outside!: Outdoor Activities and Projects to Get You and Your Kids Closer to Nature is a great resource for bored children.
Just as I have little understanding of boredom, I also never find myself needing an activity while experiencing nature beyond hiking and observing; however, children are a different breed. They sometimes need help focusing their energy. Author Jennifer Ward provides 52 outdoor activities. From “Playground for Poets” to “Five Fine Forts”, the summer boredom crisis is solved (and these activities are limited to warm summer months). Furthermore, these games and projects are designed for children ages 8-12. Here’s an example: Read the rest of this entry »
Published on June 9th, 2009
It is with pleasure that I write this review of special children’s book written by our Green Options colleague and Eco Child’s Play contributing writer Joe Mohr, aka Mean Joe Green! Not only is Joe a great political cartoonist, he’s a children’s author too. His new book Go Out! Go Out! is unique not only because it comes from Joe, but it is also a short book (14 “pages”) designed for your iPhone using istorytime.
From kite-flying to corndog buying, Go Out! Go Out! is a rhyming story that shares a small sample of the wonderful experiences that are waiting for us just outside our own front door.
Joe believes it is important kids get outside, no matter where they live! I couldn’t agree more, and my family spends most of their days in the great outdoors. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on June 2nd, 2009
This post was originally posted on Eco-Libris blog on June 1st.
Soccer is a great game and I used to play it every day when I was a kid. I love the game and therefore I enjoyed every page of our book today that got its inspiration from the (littered) soccer fields and is written by a soccer coach.
Our book today is:
20 Easy Ways to Help Save the Earth
Author: Coach Pedro and Susan Adam-Rita
Amarildo Pedro Rita was born in 1962 and has been playing high level soccer in Brazil and has being coaching youth soccer players in the United States since 1999. Currently he is the Director of Developmental Soccer Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan and author of The Magic Soccer Ball series plus The Boy and His Dream, A Great Soccer Tournament, and 20 Easy Ways to Help Save the Earth. Coach Pedro holds a bachelor degree in physical education and USSF “A” License
Susan Adam-Rita was born in a small city in Brazil where she lived for twenty-seven years. A psychologist in her home country, she continued to pursue her studies and currently is a PHD candidate in the counselor education program at Wayne State University. Susan lives with her husband, Pedro, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Illustrator: Murilo Pruner
Ages: 4 - 8
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Published on: December 2008
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Have you ever heard the urban legend about alligators living in the sewers of New York City? Well if you want to know the truth, look no farther than The Underground Gators written by our very own Tina Casey! Tina actually worked in the sewers of New York City for the Department of Environmental Protection, so she knows the real scoop on alligators living under the Big Apple.
