The Green Parent

One of the hardest parts about being a writer is putting yourself out there for criticism. Yet, it is an essential part of the book writing and selling process. After all, I can’t expect people to be interested in my book (The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Earth-Friendly Living), simply on my say so. It’s important to hear what others are saying about it.

That’s why I was so excited about the praise that I received for The Green Parent the other night….from my 2 year old daughter.

I had a review copy of the book out on the kitchen table and my daughter immediately spied it as an interesting treasure. She began leafing through the pages and I am not kidding when I tell you that she simply would not put it down. In fact, she insisted on taking it to bed with her that night. Before I headed off to bed, I crept in my daughter’s room to check on her and this is what I found. She had fallen asleep clutching the book. That’s quite possibly the best praise I’ve ever received!

Still, for those of you who aren’t quite swayed by my daughter’s opinion, I thought I would share some of the other fantastic praise that I’ve received from green living and green parenting experts across the country:

““As thoughtful stewards of the little people we care for and of the planet we inhabit, we want to tread lightly. In The Green Parent, author Jenn Savedge guides us through how to live “green” and pass that love and respect for the earth on to our children—whether it’s working with our kids’ school to ensure anti-idling, planning an eco-family vacation or finding an earth-friendly (and scalp-friendly!) way of dealing with head lice. Savedge writes with an infectious optimism that motivates us to change our ways and change the world in the process.”

–Leslie Garrett, author of The Virtuous Consumer, mother of three
“

“The Green Parent is an excellent guide for parents! Savedge provides an encyclopedic approach to a range of issues from energy efficiency to saving money. For people who don’’t have time to research environmental issues, this book boils them down to their key components, then offers easy solutions that any parent can manage. The simple format and step-by-step suggestions make this a nifty resource to read cover-to-cover, and then use as a reference guide whenever you need just the right answer. Savedge includes fun ideas like a “Light Patrol” badge to get kids involved in saving energy, as well as ideas for throwing a “green” party. She covers very practical ideas too, like how to get rid of head lice in an environmentally friendly way. I’’ve dog-eared many pages in this book and always keep it close at hand.””
–
Kathleen Ridihalgh, www.greatgreentips.net, mother of one

“”How many times have parents told children to mind their manners? In The Green Parent the roles are reversed. This thoughtful must-have book for parents reminds us of the old Native American saying: We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children. Parents, mind your environmental manners!””

–Doug Farr, author of Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature
“

“The Green Parent is a great resource for parents looking to incorporate Earth-friendliness into their lives. It offers lots of creative, sensible and easy-to-do ideas that all families— whether they’re eco-experts or green at being green—can weave into the fabric of their daily lives.””

Corey Colwell-Lipson & Lynn Colwell, authors of Celebrate Green

“

“The decisions parents make regarding how they raise their children can have a significant impact on the environment. This book is a great resource to guide parents to more environmentally friendly choices.””

–Sadhu Johnston, Chief Environmental Officer, City of Chicago, father of one
“

”

The Green Parent is a fabulous read for parents who are trying to improve the health of their children, household, communities and planet! The organization of material makes it a snap to find what you are looking for and the interviews with real parents doing the real work of “going green” helps the reader see the reality behind what is too easily brushed off as utopian thinking.
It is wonderful that Ms. Savedge gives ideas to get the kids themselves involved (a parenting book is about guiding the next generation, after all) and her guide to labels, both real and misleading, will help parents where the rubber meets the road while shopping. Each chapter ends with a list of additional resources, so you are all set to get as green as you want!””
–
Lee Welles, author of the Gaia Girls Book Series

““A great resource for updated details on green living—, especially useful for parents who no longer have the time to stay in the loop on best practices.””

–Sara Prout, Development Officer, Bainbridge Graduate Institute, mother of three
“

“It is important to raise our children in a way that is good for their health and good for the environment. In addition, the way we live our lives will serve as a model for how our children will live. The Green Parent is an excellent resource for parents that is both subtle and compelling. It doesn’’t hit you over the head with guilt, but instead lifts you up with the possibilities of how to live your lives in an environmentally reasonable way.””

–Suzanne Malec-McKenna, Commissioner of Environment, City of Chicago, mother of one
“

“The Green Parent offers clear and practical ways for families to help the environment. The book includes great facts, analysis, tips, and activities for reducing your consumption and making the most of what you do consume. Parents who start off by following even a few of Jenn Savedge’’s tips will not only help save the planet for our children, but will have a more joyous family life for the effort.””

–Raj Mankad and Miah Arnold, authors of the Green Parenting blog

“As a father of two young boys and an environmental advocate, I know all to well the challenges of raising healthy, well balanced children in these times. The Green Parent offers much needed support and inspiration for all parents working to raise evironmentally smart and health conscious kids!”

Charris Ford, sutainability advocate and founder of Grassolean Solutions, father of two