Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Simple Steps toward a healthier Earth
Illustrator: Tad Carpenter
Nonfiction
For ages 10 and up
Chronicle Books, 2010 ISBN: 978-0811871419
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.
