I was so excited when I learned that my 5yr old son was going to have the opportunity to review the book 20 Easy Ways To Help Save The Earth written by soccer coach Pedro Rita and his wife Susan. The idea of a children's book that could reinforce what my son had learned in school about being kind to the earth truly made me curious. This is not an easy topic to present to children in a fun interesting way.What I thought about this book as a parent:
1) The 20 ways to be earth-friendly are stated very clearly, but in a very adult way. The book uses terms that may require explanation to a young child, such as "wetlands", "carpooling", "endangered species", "fertilizers", and "compost".
2) I applaud the illustrator Murilo Pruner for a wonderful job explaining each right and wrong act with artwork. The frowning and smiling clouds are the perfect touch to make the tone of each example clear to even the youngest child.
3) Because of its straight-forward style, I think this book is a good tool that can be used in classrooms. I do feel it is necessary for an adult to elaborate on most of the concepts and it is not possible to just read the book like one would a storybook.
4) The one tip that was not obvious to me was the one about collecting rainwater and saving it to water the plants, grass, and trees. So I am delighted to have learned something new.
What my 5yr old son thought about this book:
1) There were many suggestions for greener living that my son had not been familiar with, such as carpooling, protecting wildlife, the effects of oil and fertilizer on water, the difference between rechargeable and disposable batteries, compost heaps, and saving the wetlands.
2) My son's favorite part of the book is the red race car on the page about compact fluorescent light bulbs.
If you would like to preview this book for yourself, I invite you to watch this short trailer . . .
You can find 20 Easy Ways to Help Save the Earth on Amazon.com, AuthorHouse.com, or at your local bookstore.
