Green Books Campaign: Yucketypoo

I get to combine two passions today in my blog post today (love when that happens): literature and the environment! I will be reviewing a "green" book.

This review is part of the Green Books campaign . Today 100 bloggers are reviewing 100 great books printed in an environmentally friendly way. Our goal is to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books. This campaign is organized by Eco-Libris, a a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website .

I'm reviewing Yucketypoo: The Monster That Grew and Grew by Jilly Hendersen-Long. This book was printed on FSC (product group from well managed forests and recycled wood or fiber) certified.

This age target for this book is 5-7 yr. olds. But I think it could definitely be appreciated by a broader age range. Actually, I'm planning to read some excerpts from it to my preschoolers tomorrow for our rhyming unit!

Yucketypoo is a compilation of poems focused mainly on the preservation of the environment. What I like most about Henderson-Long's writing is that its message is not heavy-handed. These are simply fun, whimsical poems that open a door to discuss environmental issues with little ones - environmental issues that are age appropriate. This isn't stuff that's likely to be over most children's heads.

Here's an example:

Abandoned Car

Dumped in a field, forgotten and rusty, leather seats stolen, steering wheel dusty, engine now gone and tyres so shoddy.

Along came the monster. It now had a body.

There are simple black and white illustrations that accompany each poem. They're a perfect fit, in my opinion.

I have always been a big Jack Perlutsky fan, and Henderson-Long's poems have that Perlutsky feel to them. They roll off the tongue in an enjoyable manner. This isn't a book to be silently read to yourself. These poems beg to be read aloud!

I can't wait to share these with my students tomorrow. They'll be perfect rhyming practice for us, and should lead to some excellent discussion as well!

Definitely worth checking out whether your an environmental enthusiast or not. Glad I discovered this one to add to my poetry collection!