S & S Launches Eco-Friendly Line of Kids Books
By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 3/17/2008 2:00:00 AM
Eco-friendly librarians and parents will be pleased to know that Little Simon, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, has launched Little Green Books, the first green line of children's novelty and storybooks specifically focused on the helping kids learn more about the environment.
For its fall 2008 debut, Little Green Books will launch with four titles, including two cloth books: Little Monkey and Little Panda, as well as two 8”-by-8” storybooks: I Can Save the Earth!: One Little Monster Learns to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and The Polar Bear's Home: A Story About Global Warming.
A follow-up list will include board books, storybooks, and novelty formats. The Simon Scribbles imprint will be publishing Little Green Books activity books starting in spring 2009. And at a cost $10 or less for each book, each title is reasonably affordable.
As its name suggests, Little Green Books will focus on improving the environment, preserving habitats, and getting little ones and their parents excited about going green. From recycling and replanting to creating an awareness of endangered animals, Little Green Books gets kids ready earth-friendly living at an early age.
Each Little Green Book will include tips on what to do to become more "green" as well as a Hey, Kids! Did you know ... ? fact on every back cover. The kid-friendly factoid will tie into the content of each story line.
To top it off, the manufacturing of these books will be environmentally-friendly: each book in the series will be made out of recycled materials and printed with soy ink.
"With environmental issues taking center-stage, we felt that launching a line of books using environmentally friendly materials and themes would be an appropriate contribution towards making Simon & Schuster an environmentally responsible publishing house, and allow parents to introduce young children to some of the issues surrounding the environment and what they can do to help preserve it," says Valerie Garfield, Vice President, Publisher for Novelty and Licensed Publishing. "Our slogan for this line is 'Green Books for Green Readers,' and we will market them at a consumer friendly price point and build a strong awareness with readers through aggressive promotional and online support."
