New children's book, Concerto Tutti by Tapio (publisher: Galaxias) is going green with Eco-Libris!

We're happy to announce on a new collaboration of Eco-Libris: the German publisher Galaxias is partnering with us to plant trees for a new great children's book: Concerto Tutti by Tapio.

One tree will be planted for every printed copy of the book! Already 800 new trees are being planted with our planting partners to green it up! In addition the book is printed on FSC-certified paper.

What's the book is all about? Here are more details on Concerto Tutti:

The book “Concerto Tutti“ by Finish German Author and Illustrator Tapio invites you to visit the peaceful lake “sleeping dino,” somewhere in the deep deep jungle. Visit the big crocodile, its friends the gorillas and the sassy little frogs, who tease the crocodile and other inhabitants of the lake by loud croaking and with their newly invented “water fart drive”. Until one day the crocodile calls for its old friends the pelicans. Pelican named Karajan finally finds a solution for the quarrels in the jungle and turns out to be a real “maestro”…

Currently the book is only available in German but Galaxias hopes to be able to spread the lovely story of the “Concerto Tutti” also in other countries.

Read more on www.galaxias-verlag.de (soon with English translation).

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

New children's book, Earth Remembers When by Dawn Wynne, is going green with Eco-Libris!

We're glad to update you on a new children's book that is going green with Eco-Libris: Earth Remembers When by Dawn Wynne.

100 trees will be planted with Eco-Libris to green up this great book that offers guidelines and solutions for children of all ages to make a positive impact on the environment. You can find our logo indicating that 100 trees are planted for this book on its back cover (see picture below).

Here are more details on "Earth Remembers When":

From best-selling author and award winning teacher, Dawn Wynne, comes Earth Remembers When, a richly illustrated story that visually demonstrates how humans affect nature. It offers guidelines and solutions for children of all ages to make a positive impact on the environment.

Filled with facts, tips, activities, and recipes, Earth Remembers When provides children with unique knowledge about animals and the planet along with self-empowering methods to make a difference in our world.

The book is not available yet for sale, but in the meantime you're welcome to check Dawn's other book "I Remember When," which is available on her website.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Recommended book on Kickstarter: Yeti Leaves Home

Kickstarter is a great place to fund interesting new products and projects, including books. Great books. So we decided we want to help spread the word on book projects we like on Kickstarter and every weekend we'll share one with you.

Today's Kickstarter book is Yeti Leaves Home, a children's book on a Yeti leaving home by by Jennifer Campbell & Troy Harris.

Goal: $5,000

Pledged so far: $1,227 (32 backers)

Still missing: $3,773

Days left: 28 days (until April 1)

Here's a description of the project:

What’s the project low-down?

Yeti Leaves Home” is a self-published, hand-illustrated storybook. It is a book for kids, adult versions of kids, and parents to read to their kids.

At some point in our lives, the place and people we grew up with are not ours to call home anymore. “Yeti Leaves Home” tells the tale of one young Yeti's travels, as he sets out to make a new home for himself. The book also relates to those moments in children’s lives when the act of growing up requires their independence and confidence. Join Yeti through his many trials and triumphs and share the joy of all the friends he meets along the way. Will Yeti find a place to call his own?

Why do you need my pledge?

Donations for this project will be put towards the printing costs of the book. $4000 of the Kickstarter funds raised will go towards a beautiful, full-color, hardbound, square format book printed on high-quality matte paper. The remainder of the budget will go towards production, packaging and shipping of the rewards to our supporters!

The Story So Far

The book is halfway done! The original illustrations from the book will be exhibited at Practical Art Gallery in Phoenix, Arizona for the month of May. It is our goal to have the book printed in time for the opening reception on Friday May 11th 2012.

Last week's Kickstarter recommendation - Ballad of a Bottom Feeder- A love story

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

A new children's book, Calyx of Teversall by Maia Appleby, is going green with Eco-Libris!

We are happy to update you on a new book that is going green with Eco-Libris. This time it is a great children's book - Calyx of Teversall by Mia Appleby.

The book is published by our partner, Brighter Books, a Canadian independent publishing house dedicated to bringing only the best books to life. Brighter Books is planting 300 trees with Eco-Libris for Calyx as part of its commitment to plant a tree for every book sold!

Brighter Books Publishing House was founded by Angela and Dean Jurgensen, a couple with a diverse background. Angela is a Brazilian artist, illustrator, writer and business owner, who grew up surrounded by fiction books, particularly the classics; Dean is a Canadian electronic engineer with a passion for learning new things, who spends most of his free time reading educational books. They have a positive outlook for the world, as long as everyone does their part to make the world a better place; Brighter Books Publishing House is their attempt to do their part.

Here are more details on Calyx of Teversall:

Written by Maia Appleby, Illustrations by Angela Souza
Category: Middle Readers
Imprint: Platypus
Age: 8 and up

After a few years of learning his uncle’s business at the curio shop -- and singlehandedly establishing a trading partnership with the gnomes -- the clever and resourceful Calyx can practically run the shop himself.

Things are going so well that he almost forgets why he’s living with his aunt and uncle: his mother is hiding him from a menacing, manipulative Borgh elf named Fenbeck, who could arrive in town any day to claim Calyx as his apprentice. With a classical pace, hints of Rumpelstiltskin and touches of gnome wisdom, this exciting, endearing tale will be treasured by parents and children alike.

Calyx is available on Amazon.com. For more details on the book, visit Brighter Books at http://www.brighterbooks.com/

Other books we green up with Brighter Books:

The Guardian by C.J. Gosling.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

My Cup of Tea, a new children's book in Hebrew by Dror Burstein is going green with Eco-Libris!

We're happy to announce on a very special collaboration with Israeli author Dror Burstein to green up his new children's book 'My Cup of Tea' - 120 trees will be planted with Eco-Libris for this beautiful book.

We are very delighted to be part of this collaboration as this is the first children's book in Hebrew that is going green with Eco-Libris! This is our second collaboration with Burstein - on August 2010 we worked with him to plant trees and green up his book 'Natanya' - which was the first time we worked with a book in Hebrew, adding it to the growing list of languages of books we work with, which includes among others Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Italian and English.

'My Cup of Tea', the fourth book published by Dror Burstein, was released last week and is already available online (on this link you will find more details (in Hebrew) on the book). Even if you don't read in Hebrew, I'm sure you can appreciate the beautiful cover of the book (see photo above) by Meir Apelfeld, who is the illustrator of the book.

Here's more information about the author:
Dror Burstein was born in 1970 in Netanya, Israel, and lives in Tel Aviv. He first became a fully qualified lawyer, then he left the legal field and started studying literature. He received a PhD in Hebrew literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2001 and now teaches there as well as at Tel Aviv University. He also edits programs for Israel Radio`s music station and writes literary and art reviews. Burstein has been awarded the Jerusalem Prize for Literature (1997), the Ministry of Science and Culture Prize for Poetry (2002), the Bernstein Prize for his novel, Avner Brenner (2005) and the Prime Minister`s Prize (2006).

You can read Dror's blog (Under the Table) at http://drorb.wordpress.com/

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting sustainable reading!

Pick-a-Woo Woo's new book, The Star Who Lost Her Sparkle, is going green with Eco-Libris!

We are happy to announce a new collaboration with our partner, the Australian publishers Pick-a-Woo Woo, on a great new green children's book that was just released: The Star Who Lost Her Sparkle.

100 trees will be planted with Eco-Libris for this book. As you can see in the picture above, our logo is also added to the book's cover.
Based in Western Australia, Pick-a-Woo Woo Publishers are publishers of Mind Body Spirit books for children. Their inspirational books are designed to help children connect with their intuition and inner guidance, develop their awareness skills and enhance their Mind, Body, Spirit connection.

This book is a green book, not just because of the trees planted for it, but also because of the story it tells and the messages it sends to the readers. Here are more details about The Star Who Lost Her Sparkle:

Sprinkle here and Sparkle there. We work with love This cosmic fairytale of a sick star and her sad people is a story we can relate to with our planet today. Luckily, the Fairies from the Great Medicine Star work their wonderful healing arts for happiness. A simple meditation is provided to help spread the sparkle.

A powerful message that reaches out to young and old who care about our beautiful planet Earth.

Author: Tricia mary Lee
" I have always loved writing. I love it as an art form for it's creative expression, as a communication tool for reaching across cultures and continents, as a power tool to inspire the heart and transform our way of thinking."

"The Star who lost her Sparkle" is my first published children's book and it was written in England, where I have a strong Celtic bloodline, hence the fairies!!! "

A self-confessed gypsy, Tricia mary, [who is proud mum to two big men, Tom, a photographer and James, an artist,] currently lives with her husband of 27 years in the beautiful southern forest region of West Australia in communion with this wonderful earth.

Her work journey spans teaching special needs students in the early childhood age range in the UK to literacy consultant in the Kimberley [ far NW Australia ], from practicing various healing modalities to training volunteers in Tender Touch Therapy for work with the aged and especially those with palliative care needs. In 2010 she received the ‘Volunteer of the Year' award for this work.

She is the author of two books for women : "Stop Punishing Yourself" and "The Sacred Goddess Manuscripts" and has more works yet to come. (Note from Pickawoowoo - these books are fantastic)

Copies of the book are available for purchase on Amazon.

Other Pick-a-Woo-Woo titles that go green with Eco-Libris:

The Boy Who Was Born To Love Frogs
Angel Steps
Ocean's Calling
KC the Conscious Came
Archie Angel to the Rescue

More information on these books and other titles published by Pick-a-Woo Woo can be found on their website - http://www.pickawoowoo.com

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Pick-a-Woo Woo's new book, Angel Archie To the Rescue, is going green with Eco-Libris!

We are happy to announce a new collaboration with our partner, the Australian publishers Pick-a-Woo Woo, on a great new green children's book that was released last week: Angel Archie To The Rescue.

625 trees will be planted with Eco-Libris for the book's first edition. As you can see in the picture above, our logo is also added to the book's cover.

Based in Western Australia, Pick-a-Woo Woo Publishers are publishers of Mind Body Spirit books for children. Their inspirational books are designed to help children connect with their intuition and inner guidance, develop their awareness skills and enhance their Mind, Body, Spirit connection.

This book is a green book, not just because of the trees planted for it, but also because of the story it tells and the messages it sends to the readers. Here are more details about Angel Archie to the Rescue:

Mother Earth has sent Angel Archie on an incredible mission - to show children how to care for her Planet. Archie tirelessly works from morning to night with his fun, magical and sometimes musical methods.

‘This story empowers children, giving them the wisdom to ‘Reduce-Reuse-Recycle' and to ‘Think Green' at every opportunity. It is an extraordinary teaching tool for parents and teachers as Archie opens the opportunity for discussion about respecting our Mother Earth. Many interactive and fun activities are offered at the end of the story'

Author: Lisa Sheehy
Lisa is an energetic, positive person who lives her life with purpose and embraces everyday. She is passionate about environmental issues and the need for everyone to reduce-reuse and recycle.

With the help of ‘Angel Archie', Lisa aims to educate children on Earth the important role they play in saving our planet. Her hope is children will then teach parents and reinforce Greener living in the family home. ‘Angel Archie' and Lisa are currently working on how diet and lifestyle are affecting our children's spiritual, emotional and physical health.

Illustrator: Aaron Pocock
Aaron was born in Reading, England on May 11th 1970, now living in Brisbane, Australia and has been creative for most of his life. He's been illustrating in one way or another for most of his life.

It's the typical story of drawing since he was a child, making up imaginary worlds, populated with Wizards, Kings, Queens, Pixies, and Elves. He's been illustrating professionally since 1991 and has been blessed with the opportunity to do what he loves for a living.

Other Pick-a-Woo-Woo titles that go green with Eco-Libris:

The Boy Who Was Born To Love Frogs
Angel Steps
Ocean's Calling
KC the Conscious Came

More information on these books and other titles published by Pick-a-Woo Woo can be found on their website - http://www.pickawoowoo.com

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Green book of the week: Om Baby, Child of the Universe by Schamet Horsfield

Today we review a green book that is about love' peace and happiness and is also working with Eco-Libris to plant a tree for every printed copy.

Our book is:

Om Baby, Child of the Universe

Author and illustrator: Schamet Horsfield

Schamet is a mother, a wife, a visionary artist, a new paradigm business woman, a dreamer, and a firm believer in the ability to turn dreams into reality!

Publisher: Om Baby World

Published on: April 2010

What this book is about? (from the book's Amazon page)

Om Baby Books are a series of children's picture books written and illustrated by Schamet Horsfield. Schamet's first book in the series is called Om Baby, Child of the Universe. It is a beautiful book full of colorful illustrations that are about love, peace, and happiness. The book's text emphasizes the importance of family, friends, and community. Children and adults alike will love Om Baby's colors, imaginative characters, settings, and the feelings the book evokes within them. Om Baby is a superhero for the planet, for love, and for global peace. Om Baby reminds us of the most important things in life: truth, love, friendship, family, community, and the potential for greatness within us all.

Om Baby, Child of the Universe is a 8.5 by 8.5 hardcover picture book with beautifully printed end pages. Full color. 40 pages. The contents of Om Baby are printed with soy inks on paper from responsibly managed forests and contain 25% post-consumer recycled fiber. A tree is planted for each Om Baby book made.

What we think about it?

Schamet Horsfield writes at the end of her book "Om Baby is the light and love within us all. Have you hugged your inner Om Baby today?". Well, with this beautiful and positive book you can't really be nothing but nice to your inner Om baby, no matter how stressful or annoying was your day.

Firstly, I'd like to say that the beautiful illustrations of the author makes the book a great visual experience. They're beautiful and powerful at the same time and help you to stop for a second and think about the text you've just read.

The story itself is very inspiring. Om Baby is everything we want to be - happy, caring about others and the environment, believing in the power of the mind and even avid readers! What we like about Om Baby is the fact that he (or she - I couldn't tell :-) cares and occupies himself only with the things that are really important in life, from family to happiness. This happiness looks very easy when you occupy yourself with things like books, adventures, yoga, family, eating from your garden, caring about planet earth, etc. So why the rest of us don't follow it 24/7?

Well, this is tragedy of the modern life, when we're too occupied with the rat race and don't stop for a minute to appreciate the really important things. This book is an inspiration to look for the right path, the one of Om Baby.

Bottom Line: A great book both for adults and children who are ready to learn an important lesson from a baby with one eye and plenty of wisdom!

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

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Om Baby, Child of the Universe is going green with Eco-Libris!

We're happy to announce on a new collaboration with author Schamet Horsfield on her book "Om Baby, Child of the Universe". This is the first book in the forthcoming Om Baby children's book series and it will be released on Earth Day next week! One tree will be planted with Eco-Libris for every printed copy!

It is a beautiful book full of colorful illustrations that are about love, peace, and happiness.The book's text emphasizes the importance of family, friends, and community. Children and adults alike will love Om Baby's colors, imaginative characters and settings, and the feelings the book evokes within them.

Om Baby is a superhero for the planet, for love, and for global peace. Om Baby reminds us of the most important things in life: truth, love, friendship, family, community, and the potential for greatness within us all. Om Baby provokes thought and stimulates the imagination. Om Baby invites meaningful conversations that will last throughout childhood and beyond. This is a book that will be read again and again as a valuable part of any child's development and education about caring for our environment and our fellow humans.

Author Schamet Horsfield has gone to great lengths to make Om Baby, Child of the Universe as green as possible, using soy-based inks and recycled paper. In addition, Horsfield is partnering with Eco Libris to plant a tree for each copy sold!

You can learn more about the book and the author on her website - www.ombabyworld.com. If you want to meet Schamet Horsfield, there are already few reading events scheduled for next week:

April 20th and 22nd (Earth Day), 11:00 am
Kids Quest Children's Museum

4091 Factoria Boulevard Southeast

Bellevue, WA 98006

April 21, 12:30-2:00 pm

Seattle Holistic Center

Good Shepherd Center

4649 Sunnyside Ave. N, Room 302

Seattle, WA 98103

These are events for children and adults. Schamet will be reading Om Baby at story time followed by book signing.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading

When Santa Turned Green - now the App version

Two years ago we reviewed here "When Santa Turned Green", a great green children's book written by Victoria Perla and illustrated by Mirna Kantarevic.

Now I was happy to hear that the book, in the spirit of time, has just arrived at the Apple App store.

Just to remind you, When Santa Turned Green is the illustrated story of Santa Claus's quest to turn all the world's children "green"—after he discovers that his home, the North Pole, is melting.

This charmingly written, beautifully rendered tale inspires children at a time when their imaginations and confidence in their ability to change the world are truly boundless.

And back to the new App - Produced by the wizards at ScrollMotion - the company responsible for bringing best-sellers to the iPhone platform, including Twilight and Curious George’s Dictionary - this App allows users of any age to explore the images with a pinch of their fingers and listen to a loving narrative from Santa himself. The App also offers an intuitive interface that enables users to record their own voice-over of the book.

As the author explains “This platform makes When Santa Turned Green even greener, and there’s something very sweet about watching the book come alive in the palm of your hand.”

You're welcome to check The When Santa Turned Green App (price is $1.99) here.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

We have a winner on "The Looking Book" giveaway!

We had a giveaway following to review of "The Looking Book" - the green book we recommended as a gift for parents, and we have a winner!

We asked you to share with us your experience on what's the best way to get children to play outside and we got great replies, both here and on Eco Children's Play, where the review was re-published.

And our winner is Melissa, who wrote the following:

My children LOVE to play outside, but sometimes it can be hard, one way is to give them bubbles, or balls, something that is more of a no no in the house, that usually gets them outside for me. Also sometimes we have picnics and they LOVE that, getting to eat somewhere other than the table, its a great way to get them outside and using their imagination too.

Congrats, Melissa! You won our review copy of the book, and we'll also plant a tree for this book and add our "One tree planted for this book" sticker to the book!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting sustainable reading!

Winners of the Student Climate Change Solutions Contest

We reported here last July that Madeline Kaplan, author of the children's book "Planet Earth Gets Well", who partners with Eco-Libris to plant a tree for every copy printed of the book, is partnering with Earth Day Network to promote the 2010 Student Climate Change Solutions Contest for K-4th graders in schools across the country.

And we've got an update on the winners of the contest:

First Place: Saham Alkaify, 4th Grade, PS/MS 20, Police Officer George J. Werdann, III School in the Bronx, NY 86% of U.S. Energy Consumption is Fossil Fuel!

















Second Place: Jemma Kelly, 2nd Grade, Hayshire Elementary School in York, PA

My poster shows ideas for solutions to stopping climate change. Recycling helps our planet keep valuable resources and stop waste. We can all work together to recycle many products we all use everyday. My poster shows some ideas for how everyday products can be recycled into new ones.

You can read more about it at http://www.earthday.net/climatechangesolutionscontest

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Madeline Kaplan, author of "Planet Earth Gets Geen" on Radio Green Earth of South Florida

Madeline Kaplan, author of "Planet Earth Gets Green" gets a lot of national media attention for her great book. Last week she was interviewed by Radio Green Earth of South Florida, and had an interesting talk on her book, the collaboration with the Earth Day Network and about Eco-Libris that partners with her to plant a tree for every printed copy!

Radio Green Earth is an interesting a weekly environmental radio show and their goal is "to educate listeners on environmental issues and share ways to reduce your environmental footprint and live more eco-responsible lifestyles." Definitely a good fit with "Planet Earth Goes Green".

This show is available at http://www.radiogreenearth.org/oct0509.html. You're welcome to listen to the interview with Madeline Kaplan, which starts after 23 minutes from the beginning of the show.

More about the book: Planet Earth Gets Well by Madeline Kaplan, illustrated by Taillefer Long, addresses environmental concerns in a child-friendly format, based on the author’s awareness that future generations must be prepared to preserve their planet and its resources.

When Planet Earth gets the sniffles, Mother Nature challenges each of us to retract our gluttonous ways. She instructs the Planet Earth to take better care of himself which means all humans must make big changes about key issues like global warming, the melting of polar ice caps, deforestation and energy depletion. Once Planet Earth sneezes, Mother Nature listens and helps each and every one of us learn how to be good to our dear, old friend. This educational reader is wholly unique in the ways that matter-think globally, think green, and act accordingly. Reading level: Ages 4-8

Links related to 'Planet Earth Gets Well':

Planet Earth Gets Well is partnering with Earth Day Network in a new green contest for children

The Chicago Bulls are promoting Green Reading and Eco-Libris is taking part in it!

Review of 'Planet Earth Gets Well'

An interview with Madeline Kaplan

'Planet Earth Gets Well' is going green with Eco-Libris!

The book's website: http://www.planetearthgetswell.com

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting sustainble reading!

"Nice to be Nice", a new children's picture book is going green with Eco-Libris

We're happy to announce on our new collaboration with Bella Flowers Books, a new brand of books for children.

They have just released "Nice to be Nice", the first title from its "to be" series locally, with a national release to follow in late fall 2009, and one tree will be planted for every printed copy with Eco-Libris!

Bella Flowers Books is a green publisher - their books are printed using vegetable-based ink on 30% recycled paper, and as we mentioned a tree will be planted for every book printed through a partnership with Eco-Libris.

But it's not only that, it's also their commitment to the environment as Tamika Longino, Executive Editor explains: "Every year, more than 30 million trees are cut down to produce books in the US. So, at Bella Flowers Books, we feel an ethical responsibility to balance out what we are taking from our planet. We are in business to leave the world a little better than we found it. If we remain true to that, profits are just part of our reward.”

Here's more about the book:

Nice to be Nice is a picture book that shows countless ways for children to be nice in their everyday lives. There are 32 pages of vibrant illustrations that show a diverse array of children in relatable situations. It features colorful illustrations of children engaging in “nice” behavior, including caring for the environment by recycling. Bella Flowers Books encourages parents to introduce their children to the concept of going green by remembering the following Dos and Don’ts:

1. Don’t Be Intimidated. You don’t have to know everything about saving the environment in order to get involved. Get your children started by doing something simple yet helpful, like discarding trash in public places appropriately, similar to the children in Nice to be Nice.
   
   
2. Do Make It A Family Affair. Take on a fun family project, like refurbishing an old piece of furniture or collecting old magazines from around the house and donating them to a home for seniors.
   
   
3. Don’t Take The All Or Nothing Approach. So, you drive an SUV. Don’t abandon green efforts, because of the size of your gas tank. Find other ways to give back to the earth, like buying sustainable books and products.
   
   

"Nice to be Nice" is a great book and we're very proud to begin our collaboration with Bella Flowers Books with this book. You can purchase it at http://alturl.com/crw3

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting sustainable reading!

Planet Earth Gets Well is partnering with Earth Day Network in a new green contest for children

We have a great partnership with Madeline Kaplan, author of "Planet Earth Gets Wel". Madeline is planting a tree with us for every copy her wonderful children's book and is adding our sticker to the books sold.

Last April the book was involved in a program of the Chicago Bulls to promote green in a local school (you can see pictures from the Bull's event here), and today we're proud to report on a new environmental partnership of "Planet Earth Gets Well".

The book, which addresses environmental concerns in a child-friendly format, is partnering with Earth Day Network to promote the 2010 Student Climate Change Solutions Contest in schools across the country commencing August 1, 2009 and concluding on October 23, 2009. Two winners will be announced on November 2, 2009.

Targeted to children ages 4-9, a sector of the market where there is a void in materials which promote environmental awareness, the book will serve as the centerpiece of the contest helping Earth Day Network expand its reach to new audience members in preparation for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, to be celebrated in April 2010. “As we approach the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we are excited to share these educational opportunities with our younger audience to engage them in climate change solutions,” explains Brenna Holzhauer, Education Coordinator at Earth Day Network.

The 2010 Student Climate Change Solutions Contest will encourage teachers in grades K-4 to read Planet Earth Gets Well with their students and to utilize a related lesson plan to introduce age-appropriate concepts surrounding climate change. The book will be offered at a discount to teachers by visiting http://www.planetearthgetswell.com/ and lesson plans will be available for free download from the Earth Day Network’s Educators’ Network at http://www.earthday.net/node/12. There will also be a back-to-school poster contest for students aimed at resolving climate change which will be tied to the Earth Day 2010 theme, “The Green Generation™.”

Selected by the Earth Day Network’s Education Department, the two winners of the 2010 Student Climate Change Solutions Contest will be celebrated as exemplary members of The Green Generation™. The winning students will also receive a prize package including a signed copy of Planet Earth Gets Well, a t-shirt, a poster and a copy of the Planet Earth DVD set as well as an autographed Earth Day poster for the teacher’s classroom.

Winners will be announced through the Earth Day Network’s education page in the Earth Day Network’s Educators’ Network newsletter and on the Planet Earth Gets Well website (http://www.planetearthgetswell.com/), Facebook page and on Twitter (@planetearthwell). The winning students will receive a prize package including a signed copy of Planet Earth Gets Well, a t-shirt, a poster and a copy of the Planet Earth DVD set as well as an autographed Earth Day poster for the teacher’s classroom.

Planet Earth Gets Well is based on the author Madeline Kaplan’s understanding that future generations must be prepared to preserve their planet and its resources. Full-color illustrations garnish every other page of this creative metaphor in which Planet Earth has a fever—global warming—and to make him healthy again, his human friends must listen to the advice of Earth’s mother. Ms. Kaplan says that, “The relationship between the health of the planet and the people that live on it is clearly demonstrated for young readers, promoting this awareness as part of their earliest understanding of the world in which they live. I am extremely pleased to partner with Earth Day Network to further promote this awareness.”

Kudos to Madeline Kaplan and the Earth Day Network! This is great news and we're proud to be part of such an important educational initiative. We will keep you posted on the contest and in the meantime you're welcome to visit the book's website at and the Earth Day Network's website at http://www.earthday.net/.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

Photos and video from the book launch of 'Where the Buttercups Grow' with author Shelley Meyer

We announced earlier this month on the collaboration with Aaspirations Publishing to plant 5,000 trees for their new children's book ‘Where the Buttercups Grow’.

The book launch of this great book was held in Chapters in Surrey with the author Shelley Meyer (see photo above). You can see photos from the book launch on Aaspirations Publishing's website. Here's also a video from the event:

Beautifully written by Shelley Meyer and vividly illustrated by her daughter Tessa Meyer, this inspiring and powerful story will find a spot on every child's list of favorites, especially when they can carry the story forward in their own lives and plant their very own buttercups. This wonderful title is doubly special because for every book 1 tree has been planted.

To order your copy of the book click here, or if you are in the area, drop in at the Chapters at Strawberry Hill, 12101 on 72nd Avenue, Surrey, BC V3W 2M1.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green printing

Monday's Green books series: 20 Easy Ways to Help Save the Earth

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

What this book is about? (from the publisher's website)
20 EASY WAYS TO SAVE THE EARTH is a book full of great ideas to put into practice that will help you change little things and have a great impact. The main reason for this book is to educate, inspire, and empower children to protect the environment.Written and illustrated in a fun way, Ways to Save the Earth is a book for the whole family to enjoy and share important ideas. We all share this EARTH, so let us take good care of it.

Why you should get it?
This is the first green children's book I read which is written both in English and in Spanish and it makes so much sense when you think on all the parents and children who feel more comfortable to read in Spanish (and all of those who can use it to improve their Spanish like myself!).

By making the book bi-lingual, the author wanted to reach kids in Hispanic communities and I think this is a great idea that hopefully will be copied by other authors and publishers. One funny thing I noticed though is that the book is designed in a way that each recommendation is presented on two pages - there’s an illustration showing how not to behave on the left side and another illustration showing how we should behave on the right side. Now, the English text is always on the right side and the Spanish translation always comes on the left side - so it looks like the English goes with the wrongdoing while Spanish is the language of the good deeds :)

The book itself is full with great advice. You won't find there any new advice but the book's strength is in putting all of these recommendations together and showing how simple it can be for children (and their parents) to go green. Coach Pedro and his wife, Susan, created an easy and understandable guide, full with beautiful illustrations, for every kid who wants to support the environment and don't know where to begin or already begun and looks for further ideas.

Coming from the land of Pele, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka and many other soccer legends that became a model and inspiration for millions of children around the world, I hope Coach Pedro will also find his way to the hearts and minds of many kids and will succeed to influence them, this time not only to play soccer, but also to support the environment both on and outside the soccer field.

Here's the book's trailer:



If you want to learn more about Coach Pedro and his work, you are welcome to visit his website - www.coachpedro.com

More links about the book:

Interview with the authors Coach Pedro and Susan Adam-Rita on ShelfLife TV

Interview with Coach Pedro on the blog 'Write for a Reader'

The authors' blog

If you're looking for other interesting green-themed books, you are invited to check out our green books page on our website's green resources section.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

And you can make a difference too! - an interview with Suzanne Corso, author of "Sammy and Sue Go Green Too!"

"Sammy and Sue Go Green Too!" is not only a great children's book, but also a very inspirational one both for kids and their parents.

If you had a chance to read our review of the book you probably know already that a) this book is about a joint mother-daughter journey into the green world and b) Eco-Libris collaborates with the publisher, Beaufort Books, and the author, Suzanne Corso, to encourage the readers of this wonderful book to green up their reading and take a step to support the environment by planting a tree with us for their copy.

The book is already receiving enthusiastic feedback and endorsements. On March it was selected as Book of the Year by NWYA's NY Reads Program, which is a program of New York Women’s Agenda (NWYA), a city-wide book discussion based on the reading of one book selected each year.

We felt that there's much more to explore about this great book and interviewed the author, Suzanne Corso, about her muse, the shared green experiences with her daughter and what children like about this book.

(Suzanne Corso on the left in the launch party of the book with actress Lorraine Bracco. Photo courtesy of Suzanne Corso)

Hi Suzanne. Please tell us what brought you to write this book

My daughter, Samantha. She is 10 years old now and she came to me 2 years ago came to me asking questions about the environment and she also wanted me to write something with her, and the result is the 'Sammy and Sue' series.

What is your favorite part in it?

Experiencing it with my daughter - driving a hybrid car with her, going together to Whole Foods, changing bulbs to energy saving bulbs, etc. I enjoyed explaining to her while we were doing it and she enjoyed learning as kids like to learn through visuals.

You did this green journey together with your daughter. Did it bring you closer? do you recommend other parents to team together with their kids and explore the green world together?

Definitely. It's a win-win and I recommend it to every parent - take your children to journeys, explain to them about recycling, food, cars and so on and you'll find it not only helps to raise the awareness of your kids, but also brings you together.

What are the main changes that you and Samantha made in your daily life following your journey?

There are many changes. A major one is food. We eat better and healthier food. We have this pack where Samantha eats super well on week days and then on the weekends she can enjoy herself with whatever food she wants. Eventually, I find that even of the weekends she wants to eat good food.

How did it influence her?

She is much more aware now to environmental issues. She helps me to explain kids about green issues such as recycling. When it comes from her it definitely helps to reinforce the message.

What is the feedback you're getting?

I get great feedback from both parents and children. I'm a mother, not an expert and parents can easily relate to it and to the idea of taking baby steps to make a difference.

Do you think children are capable of understanding the issues at stake?

Yes. When we have reading events for kids they always have questions and want to learn more. The best way is to use simple terms and relate to daily activities they know such as brushing teeth (keep the faucet closed while we brush), recycling newspapers, and so on. In the book I added a glossary at the end to help simplify difficult terms.

This is your first children's book. How is it in comparison with other writing you did?

I wrote before the book a novel and a screenplay and I can say that once you're a writer, you can write anything. But here I'm also extending my writing into further activities for kids and I founded and serve as the chairwoman of Sammy and Sue Enterprises, LLC, which will design and market a 3-D virtual world filled with games for kids with environmental themes. We plan to offer the first games at the beginning of 2010.

What are the upcoming titles in the series?

The next title is "SAMMY & SUE WITH ELEPHANTS IN AFRICA TOO"!, which takes place in Africa and combines both environmental and animal themes, as it will also a journey to save the wild elephants in Africa. This book will be released in January 2010. The title afterwards will be SAMMY & SUE EATING HEALTHY AND EXERCISING TOO!.

Thanks, Suzanne!

You can read more about the book and the 'Sammy and Sue' series at www.sammyandsue.com

And if you're in New York on Saturday, you can meet Suzanne Corso at Barney's NY, where she'll have a signing event. Details are below.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net