Eco books for kids: Saving the planet, one book at a time

The environmental movement may not yet have changed the world, but it has certainly changed the world of children's books. Hardly a science or nature book for kids fails to sound a warning about habitats, species and resources in danger. Where 10 years ago an author described a hibernating bear fast asleep, in a recent book, "Life in the Boreal Forest," we read: "The bear snoozes under a fallen tree, but his sleep is restless. Chip, chop! Now that the soggy ground is frozen, a logging crew is cutting trees. Each year brings new loggers, miners, and peat harvesters. The boreal forest is disappearing fast."

By Sonja Bolle

December 13, 2009