Go Green!; Liz Gogerly, illustrated by Miguel Sanchez

Anjali and her friends have had a great time celebrating her birthday but there’s one big problem. There’s so much rubbish left over; balloons, food, paper plates, plastic cutlery, wrapping paper and plastic toys. Rather than throw the rubbish away, send it off to the landfill - where it could take thousands of years to decompose - and forget about it, the four friends set out to find the truth about rubbish.

The children learn that excess rubbish is a big problem. The climate is changing, carbon emissions are getting out of control, weather is becoming more extreme and wildlife is being threatened - particularly those animals living in the Arctic circle whose habitat is melting before their very eyes. The way to make a difference is to reduce carbon emissions so the children set out to do what they can with some helpful guidance from adults along the way.

Did you know that old trainers are turned into playground surfaces or running tracks? Or that plastic bottles can be turned into items of clothing? These are the kinds of amazing things that can be done with unwanted items when they are recycled properly and repurposed.

What is great is that the changes that the children make are things that we can all do. At school the children write on both sides of the paper, they find uses for used plastic bottles - stationery holders, pots for plants - they learn how to recycle effectively and eat zero waste lunches. At home, the children make sure that lights and power sockets are turned off, they don’t leave the tap running when brushing their teeth and the home owners have even installed solar panels on the roof (yes you can generate electricity from the sun).

Illustrations, captions and text boxes provide plenty of detail on many areas of ‘Going Green’. Each topic is set out over a double page and highlights a specific issue and what can be done to improve the situation. The book is filled with practical and accessible advice and will hopefully inspire children to make changes to how they live.

The book is a celebration of what can be achieved when we reduce, reuse, recycle, use more sustainable products and seek out ethical and eco-friendly goods. The good news is lots of people are already doing their bit and countries around the world are beginning to use clean energy. If we can all work towards ‘Going Green’ then the planet will be a better place.

A great practical guide for young children to reduce their carbon emissions and help protect the planet. It is time to reduce, reuse, recycle and turn trash into treasure.

Recommended for 7+.