Green Book of the week: Catch the Wind by Anne Johnson (and a giveaway!)

Today we review a green book that is presenting kids with the fascinating world of wind energy!

Our book is:

Catch the Wind (Discover Renewables)

Author: the folks at Mortenson Construction

Mortenson is a 54-year old family construction business that started building wind energy projects in 1995 and is now a leading builder and design-builder of wind power facilities in North America. This book is an effort to share our collective knowledge of this rapidly growing industry.

Illustrator: Shawn McCann

Publisher: Beaver Pond Press

Published on: October 2008

Ages: 4-8

What this book is about? (from publisher's website)

The notion of “green” has become a hot topic — and rightly so. Future generations deserve to live in a world that is in the same condition, if not better, than it is today. Wind farms are impacting our environment in an extraordinarily positive way. They produce clean, renewable energy that helps maintain air quality, preserves natural gas and reduces our dependency on traditional energy sources.

The creation of this book began with teacher requested wind energy materials for students. Educators are beginning to see science standards including content on renewable energy. There is a growing desire to learn about clean energy. So why not use our knowledge as a leading builder of wind farms to educate children about this growing industry?

Catch the Wind takes readers on a journey that will teach them about wind energy and the importance of making environmentally responsible choices. It was developed with input from educators and experts from within the wind industry. Children can follow Nels, an inquisitive boy, as he visits a wind farm with his father to discover the power of the wind. Diagrams of wind turbines and their components as well as key terms, defined in a glossary, make up the educational content of Catch the Wind. While exploring topics such as renewable energy, the history of wind power, and the steps to building a wind farm, Catch the Wind also raises awareness of wind power as a viable source of clean, renewable energy.

This book is a nonprofit effort courtesy of Mortenson Construction. Proceeds will be donated to nonprofit entities promoting the development and use of renewable energies.

What we think about it?

This book is a great resource for any kid who want to better understand wind energy. Actually, I believe many adults who will enjoy the story and learn from it as well.

We hear everyday news about renewable energy (here's an example from yesterday - U.S. Wind Capacity Grew by 10,000 MW), but how much do we really know about these new clean alternatives? and how much the new generation knows about them? With the growing use of clean energy, there's a greater need in effective educational tools that will provide basic information about clean energy. This book is definitely one them.

With its clear explanations, beautiful illustrations, photos, and of course a fun story, the book makes it very easy to understand wind energy, even for kids (and adults) who are not interested in "technical" stuff. Although this book is an imitative of a wind power company, it's far from being a commercial book and I think Mortenson deserve kudos for their initiative (it's also a nonprofit effort, where all the proceeds are donated to nonprofit entities). We can only hope to have similar books for kids on solar, geothermal, energy efficiency and other clean energy resources.

Bottom Line: If you're interested to teach your kids on wind energy, this is your book!

Disclosure: We received a copy of this book from the author.

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!

We're giving away two copies of the book, courtesy of the author, and of course a tree will be planted for the copy!

How you can win? Please add a comment below with an answer the following question: How do you introduce kids to renewable energy? We'll be happy to hear your personal experiences. Submissions are accepted until next Thursday, April 16, 12PM EST. The two winners will be announced the following day.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!