Ten Things I Can Do to Help My World

Walsh, Melanie. 2008. TEN THINGS I CAN DO TO HELP MY WORLD. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick. ISBN 9781406310863 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

REVIEW
This simple but lovely picture book is a primer for what young children can do to conserve precious resources. Some of the ideas are about conserving energy—turning of the light when leaving a room and the television when not watching and walking instead of the driving in the car. Other ideas deal concern taking care of what we have by planting seeds and feeding the birds and turning off the tap when brushing teeth and using both sides of a piece of paper. Simply told with bright child-friendly illustrations and die cut pages make it both a good read aloud for a class or for an individual child.

CONNECTIONS
Brainstorm other things that a child can do to conserve and preserve. Draw posters of the ideas and display them around the school or have a poster contest for the entire school.

Discuss what the class or the school as a whole could do to conserve and preserve. Have a contest to see who can recycle the most cans, bottles, or newspapers. Clean up the trash on the playground or around the school or in the neighborhood.

Have kids make their own books of ten things that they will do to help their world.

RELATED BOOKS
Other books about making a difference:
Graham, Bob. HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN WING. ISBN 9780763639037
Milway, Katie Smith. ONE HEN: HOW ONE SMALL LOAN MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE. ISBN 9781554530281
Winter, Jeanette. WANGARI’S TREES OF PEACE: A TRUE STORY FROM AFRICA. ISBN 9780152065454

By Jane Claes