Books, not just for Earth Day, but everyday

Posted on by October 11, 2011

Apparently I am a little obsessed with books this week. I do love books. I can still think of some books from my childhood and remember what I felt, what I imagined, and what I took from them… and I can’t imagine children not having this same opportunity.

We got several books from the library this week for Earth Day. Some we have read before, some were new to us, and not all are too overwhelmingly environmental, but we all enjoyed them and I want to share them with you.

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

When talking about books and Earth Day, this is one book that should be on every list. If you only check out one of these books, choose this one. It is a great read, kids love it, and the message of our responsibility to other living things and to conserve resources so everyone can enjoy them is timeless. Best for preschool and up.

Joseph Had A Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

This is a lovely little story based on a Yiddish song. It follows a man named Joseph who has an overcoat that he loves. When it gets old and worn, he makes it into a coat. When that gets old and worn, he makes it into a scarf. It goes on until he has nothing left. Except he does have something, his story to tell. The message is that you can always make something out of nothing (and you can always reuse what you do have!). While the youngest children may not get the moral of the story, all will enjoy it.

Children of the Earth… Remember by Schim Schimmel

Dear Children of the Earth by Schim Schimmel

My kids are really drawn to both of these books. We were actually gifted one and borrowed the other from the library for the first time this week. I like Children of the Earth… Remember just a little more if I had to choose. Both encourage children to protect and care for the earth and her animals. There is definitely a new age feeling here so keep an open mind. All my kids love them. I think they are good for children under 8.

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by by Dan Yaccarino

For children who love water and are enamored by it’s creatures, this book about the life of Jacques Cousteau is for them. The book provides a simple biography about the man who would become the world’s ambassador of the oceans. From how he fell in love with the ocean to his inventions that helped him further explore the sea’s mysteries to to some of the treasures he found, and finally to how he began educating people about the ocean and the need to protect it. The pictures were fascinating to my two youngest, but my oldest was much more into the story. I think it’s best appreciated by 5 and up.

Mother Earth And Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale by Sibylle von Olfers, illustrated by Sieglinde Schoen-Smith, translated by Jack Zipes

The vibrant and incredibly detailed illustrations are what make this book. Each page is a close look at one intricate section of the quilt that provides the photographic illustrations for this sweet rhyming poem. It lightly explores the changing of the seasons and the wonders of nature. I think this one is best for preschool age on up.

One Red Apple by Harriet Ziefert

This is a beautifully simple book that celebrates the life cycle of one red apple from tree, to the local farm stand, and all the way to growing a new tree with a ripe red apple ready for picking. I love how it thanks the earth for giving us the apple. I love how it thanks the birds, wind, sun, and bees. I love how it celebrates the simplicity of a farmer growing apples, selling them locally, and a child growing a new apple tree from the core of her delicious red apple. Of course my kids already always want to plant their seeds, but there are worse things to want to do! The book does have one fold-out page that might be trouble for some little ones, but I think all ages can appreciate this book, gently.

The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry

This a story about a man sent into the rain forest to cut down a great Kapok tree. He falls asleep underneath the tree and while he sleeps, the animals that depend on the tree hiss, buzz, squawk, growl, whisper, and speak into his ear about the consequences of cutting down the tree and the interconnectedness of all living things. When he wakes, he leaves his ax and walks out of the forest. This is a great introduction to the importance of conservation and protection of whole ecosystems. Best for preschool age and up.

Now this list is far from complete, so if please share your favorites too!

Earth Day through reading… and donating to The Children’s Book Bank

Posted on by October 10, 2011

Today my 4 year old and I walked to the library and picked up a few (well maybe more than a few) books that I had put on hold. I am now at my limit of books I am able to check out at one time. I really can’t wait until these kids are old enough to have their own library cards so they aren’t taking up so much on mine. At least they love to read…

I have stopped buying books, except for special ones that we just have to have. Oh, and I often give books as gifts. But, I am a big fan of the library. It is a fun place to go. They have almost every book you can think of and if not you can always request it. And the books you borrow can go back, and quickly if it turns out to not be as great as you thought it might be…

But… we have a very full bookshelf at home. We have a ridiculous number of books for the kids, for ourselves, just lots and lots of books. I love books.

This is just one of bookcases for children’s books…

And a bucket for the baby’s…

And a few of the ones I love…

There are many statistics that tell us why reading is so important to and for young children, and how if there is little or no access to books, the outcome is a serious negative impact on future success. There is a direct correlation between reading, and being read to, and academic success. Now tell me how that affects our society as a whole?

Did you click the link and read the statistics?

At this point you may be asking what you can do. (If you still aren’t moved, and even if you are, I highly recommend you look at the work of Jonathan Kozol, particularly the books, Savage Inequalities and Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation. I might also recommend doing some service in an area like the South Bronx. It will change you.)

Now. I do have one immediate solution for you…

This Saturday, in celebration of Earth Day, The Children’s Book Bank is partnering with the local Portland New Seasons to have a one-day book drive. The Earth Day Book Drive will collect new and used books for children who might not otherwise have any books to call their own at all 9 Portland New Seasons Markets, as well as the Laurelhurst and Bridgeport Whole Foods, between 10am and 4pm.

Please consider a donation.

For those of you not local to Portland, see if you can find a similar organization where you live. Or start one!


Reduce, reuse, recycle

Posted on by May 21, 2011

Today we were on our way to a playdate when…

6 year old: What are we going to do to celebrate Earth Day mama?

Me: What do you want to do? I have lots of ideas, what are yours?

6 year old: We need to do something that helps protect the environment. What can we do?

Me: Well, we are already doing one thing to help reduce our use of electricity by not watching tv this week.

6 year old: Oh, yeah….

And a conversation ensued about what we are doing as a family to reduce, reuse, recycle all the time, what we can do better, and what we want to do special for Earth Day. We came up with several things that helped reinforce decisions that I make that they don’t always agree with.

What are the things you do every day that reflect the values of Earth Day? Do your kids, spouse, always agree?

Some of the things we talked about were so fun to watch my captive audience really think and consider… and the things that were really eye-opening were different for each boy.

My 4 year old doesn’t always like to walk places, regardless of how easily walkable they might be. He also likes to take elevators instead of the stairs and can complain and whine to no end when he wants to.

The 6 year old really took in what I was saying about reducing consumption, now to see if it makes any difference the next time we go to a store… oh if only I could get through a simple shopping trip without hearing, I want, I want, I want.

So, what are the lessons from Earth Day that you want your kids to learn?

Earth Week 2010 (and activities for tv turnoff week)

Posted on by February 4, 2013

It’s the beginning of both TV Turnoff Week and Earth Week. I’d say they go hand in hand, don’t you?

My boys are never thrilled with the idea of not being able to watch any shows for the whole week, but we always manage to stay occupied so they don’t even notice it too much. I definitely think it has more to do with consciously thinking about not turning in to whatever the favorite show is at the moment since we often go with no tv for several days.

And this week we will have plenty to do to celebrate Earth Week that I know we won’t even have time to think about what we may or may not be missing out on.

Throughout the week, I’ll be exploring different things to do with your kids. The following is a list of ten (2 for every day!) activities to try this week.

  1. Make a weather book: Have your child take a look outside at the weather and determine if it’s rainy, cloudy, sunny, etc.? Choose a style of book to make (I love the set of bookmaking instructions at Making Books with Children), from simple to more elaborate. Then come up with ideas for each page based on age: photos or drawings, weather facts, weather songs or poems, observations, or anything else you like.
  2. Ride bikes: Or at least let your kids ride, whether in a trailer behind or on their own bikes. We actually did this today, well the boys rode and I walked, but I hope the weather will be good enough to go out again one more time this week.
  3. Go on a nature walk: This is always a hit here. Luckily we have a couple of wilderness parks within walking distance. There are so many ways to make a walk more interesting: count the animals you see, find as many colors of flowers, jump in puddles, tell a story along the way, run, collect rocks (depending on where you are there may be rules against that).
  4. Art projects: From simple free coloring to more elaborate projects, kids love art.
  5. Find a library storytime: This is one of the best free events for this week. It’s fun for the kids and great on the environment to utilize the libraries resources. Try walking, biking, or bussing for an extra point!
  6. Play a board game or jigsaw puzzle: This is something fun for us if we need a quieter activity, which all too often does not happen. My 4 year old loves sitting down with a memory game, Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, or Squiggly Worms and jigsaw puzzles. My 6 year old likes more active games like Hullabaloo or Hyper Dash. My 20 month old loves the Candyland Castle Game and wooden puzzles. Don’t have any? Make your own!
  7. Get in the kitchen: Salad People by Mollie Katzen has been a favorite here for a few years now. Of course, anything you make or bake with your child will be fun. My boys always love to help in the kitchen and with our busy lives they don’t always get the chance.
  8. Try a science experiment: With so many to try, it can be hard to choose one, but for this week I am going to suggest the Mentos and Diet Coke experiment. My dad did this when he came to visit and my kids went crazy over it. I am also loving “What’s That Smell?” from PBS’s Sid the Science Kid.
  9. Plant: Plant a tree, plant a garden, plant something. Whether you volunteer with a tree planting organization in your state, work in your own backyard, or help out in a community or school garden. I believe this is incredibly important for children to experience, particularly if you can reap the benefits of a vegetable garden. We need more connection to the foods we eat and it just tastes so much better, even my boys say so!
  10. Read: It’s simple, but oh so crucial for our kids. Wherever they are in their own literacy, being read to and reading to their parents is one of the most important things you can do with your children. Daytime reading can also be very different than bedtime reading. There is more time for questions, discussions, laughter, and ideas that come from reading time during the day.

Full disclosure… I will be using the computer this week. However, I am not going to be on during my children’s waking hours. So, if you try to contact me via email, Facebook, or twitter, I won’t be getting back to you until the evening. I also plan on blogging each day with ideas and book reviews for this week…

Now. What are you planning for this week?