MY FIRST GREEN BOOK - Hardcover

More flash than substance, this striking oversize book gives brief information on recycling and conservation and provides step-by-step pictorial directions for simple air- and water- pollution experiments that, unfortunately, often fail to demonstrate their hypotheses. A seven-day study of air pollution, for example, appears to show that pollution decreases with the length of exposure--the opposite of the author's intent. In an experiment on ``acid rain,'' three plants are watered with different vinegar solutions; after five days the one given the ``stronger acid'' [sic] is dead. Conclusion: ``Acid rain has the same effect on plants as water and vinegar mixed together, but it is weaker and works more slowly''--but the experiment hasn't shown either that rain is acidic or that the weaker solutions are harmful. A conservation kit in the eye-catching color photos exhibits little care for the environment in its use of highly colored plastics. It's never too soon to learn about conservation, but young environmentalists will do better to look elsewhere for ideas on how to save the earth. (Nonfiction. 8-10) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Aimed at a younger audience than most recent guides to becoming a "green" consumer, this oversized volume--part of Knopf's My First series--explains environmental concerns clearly without oversimplifying them. In addition to delivering her message succinctly ("The future of Earth is in your hands"), Wilkes provides hands-on activities that demonstrate the importance of pitching in to protect our planet. Similar in format to the publisher's popular Eyewitness series, the book is filled with large-scale, color photos that effectively illustrate such experiments as those that show how clean the air is, how acid rain affects plants, how various objects biodegrade at different rates (if at all) and why rain forests are so crucial to the Earth. Other projects include creating a wildlife garden in a flower box, planting a tree and organizing a "green campaign" with one's friends. This practical book teaches critical lessons that even the youngest readers should learn. Ages 7-10.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.