Not Your Typical Book About the Environment Book

We live in a time of heightened environmental awareness, and this knowledge is creating a generation of children with feelings of eco-anxiety — the world is doomed, isn't it? Maybe not. Not Your Typical Book about the Environment allays kids’ fears by showing how all is not lost. Young readers learn about the remarkable time they live in: smart technologies, innovative ideas, and a growing commitment to alternative lifestyles are exploding around the world. Awareness is creating a future that will be brighter than we sometimes might think. Each chapter begins by taking familiar objects — T-shirts, video games, bikes — and using these as launching pads to delve into related environmental issues. Plus, profiles of unexpected personalities, like happiness researcher Catherine O'Brien, show how many are seeking viable solutions to the serious problems facing our planet.

Publishers Weekly

With energetic cartoons and a positive attitude (an opening page promises “not [to] blame you, your baby sister, or your uncle Irving for climate change”), this green guide covers four kid-focused categories: clothing, food, technology, and human actions. Kelsey explores topics including eco-friendly apparel, biomimicry, urban farming, and ecological footprints, while occasional comic-style spreads make surprising connections between the local and the global (“How bees are connected to your burger and world peace”). It's a smart approach, and one that should inspire. Ages 9-12. (Feb.)