Blow! Air Click! Energy Splash! Water Yuck! Waste

Gr 1—2—Cartoon children with round faces, dot eyes, and c-shaped noses explore their world and discover simple ways to protect the planet. Bright watercolor illustrations fill the spreads as the kids have fun yet lend a hand to make a difference. Blow! discusses good things that are carried through the air, such as leaves, airplanes, and birds, but also pollutants, including car emissions, and the damage they can do as acid rain and in depleting the ozone layer. Click! describes how people use energy and how it is harmful to the Earth by producing smoke and depleting natural resources. Splash! explains how water is needed, used, and wasted by people. Suggested ways to save this resource include shutting off the tap when brushing your teeth and reusing water for plants. Yuck! contains ideas on how to reduce waste, such as buying less in the first place. Each book has a couple of activities (most will need adult supervision), such as making a pinwheel and creating a solar oven out of a discarded pizza box. Two pages of information for parents help explain the subject in more detail.—Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX