dePaola, Tomie. Charlie Needs a Cloak. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1973. Age Range: 6 and up Publisher's Description: A shepherd shears his sheep, cards and spins the wool, weaves and dyes the cloth, and sews a beautiful new red cloak.

This BrainPOP Jr. website provides both teachers and students with an interesting collection of background information on the use of natural resources and conservation efforts, while providing teachers with fun and exciting activities to implement in the classroom.

Deedy, Carmen Agra. Agatha's Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Story. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers, 1994. Age Range: 5 and up Publisher's Description: Agatha, a sagacious old lady, sells her woven wares and imparts knowledge to all, "especially children: Everything comes from something, / Nothing comes from nothing ." This maxim reaches "six naked geese," who are chilly and demand the return of their feathers from Agatha's feather bed. Though "a little down in the mouth," Agatha promises a solution in three days. (The geese, meanwhile, register at the "Down Town Motel" where they "took a gander in the mirror.") Agatha's solution is inspired, as is Deedy's playful yarn. From its simple beginning--"Do you see that little shop sandwiched between two skyscrapers?"--to its intriguing conclusion--"Where do goose eggs come from, anyway?"--this finely crafted collaboration abounds with information and whimsy. It also teems with puns and word play, much of which may be of greater appeal to grownups than to the book's intended audience. Seeley's atmospheric illustrations are bathed in lavender, giving them a properly old-fashioned tone. Stylized patchwork borders contain examples of Agatha's truism--a flax plant stands by a bolt of linen, a stalk of wheat by a loaf of bread.

Blood, Charles L., and Martin Link. The Goat in the Rug. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1976. Age Range: 4 and up Publisher's Description: Geraldine is a goat, and Glenmae, a Navajo weaver. One day, Glenmae decides to weave Geraldine into a rug. First Geraldine is clipped. Then her wool is spun into fine, strong yarn. Finally, Glenmae weaves the wool on her loom. They reader learns, along with Geraldine, about the care and pride involved in the weaving of a Navajo rug -- and about cooperation between friends.

Bedford, Deborah Jackson. Garbage Disposal: Action for the Environment. North Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2006. Age Range: 9 and up Publisher's Description: Deborah Jackson Bedford discusses successful landfill and incineration alternatives, the 3Rs (reduce, recycle and reuse), composting and responsible living.

Wiesner, David. Flotsam. New York, NY: Clarion Books, 2006. Age Range: 4 - 8 years Publisher's Description: A bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam - anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there's no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share ...and to keep.

Vogel, Carole Garbuny. Human Impact: The Restless Sea. New York, New York: Franklin Watts, 2003. Age Range: 11 and up Publisher's Description: Learn how overpopulation, coastal development, and global warming have affected our oceans. Trace the imprint humans have made on the oceans' bounties - the dead zones, sick seas, and other symptoms of their failing health - and what this means to the future of life on Earth.

School of Fish is an interactive and exciting adventure into the awesome underworld of the sea and sea-life...from learning to protecting and even eating!

Price, Sean. Water Pollution: Saving Our World. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2008. Age Range: 9 and up Publisher's Description: Thousands of animals are dying because of water pollution. Read about all the different things that are polluting the waters-causing terrible pollution disasters-in this amazing book. The powerful images clearly show the causes and effects of water pollution, and the easy-to-read text explains how you can help change things for the better.

Jakubiak, David J. What Can We Do About Oil Spills and Ocean Pollution? New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2012. Age Range: 7 and up Publisher's Description: Frequent photographs in the news of oil-coated wildlife and massive floating trash islands offer an ugly glimpse of the sort of pollution we have unleashed in Earth's oceans. Young readers and budding environmentalists can dig deeper into the topic and explore some of the ways that people can prevent future pollution and clean up the messes humans have made. The included sidebars stimulate further interest in this very serious issue.

Inches, Alison. I Can Save the Ocean!: The Little Green Monster Cleans Up the Beach. New York, NY: Little Simon, 2010. Age Range: 4 and up Publisher's Description: Max the Little Green Monster loves the beach, but after a picnic on the shore, he leaves behind a big mess to go scuba diving. Max meets lots of new ocean-swimming friends and, along the way, learns how his littering may have harmed the beautiful ocean. He goes on a quest to clean and protect the beach, and finds out what it means to be environmentally green. Printed with vegetable ink on recycled paper, I Can Save the Ocean! includes tips for kids on what they can do to lead greener lives.

Harper, Joel. All the Way to the Ocean. Claremont, CA: Freedom Three Publishing, 2006. Age Range: 9 and up Publisher's Description: An uplifting story about two best friends, Isaac and James, and their discovery of the cause and effect relationship between our cities' storm drains and the world's oceans, lakes and rivers. It is sure to inspire both young and adult readers alike and teach a timeless life lesson--If we all do our part, a cleaner, safer environment is indeed within our reach.

Goodman, Polly. Coasts: Earth in Danger. London, England: Hodder Wayland, 2001. Age Range: 7 and up Publisher's Description: Most of the Earth's people live near coasts. Many animals and plants also make their homes here. This book tells you how coasts can be damaged or protected. It also helps you to find out how pollution and tourism are changing coastal life.

de Rothschild, David. Plastiki Across the Pacific on Plastic: An Adventure to Save Our Oceans. New York, NY: Melcher Media, 2011. Age Range: 9 and up Publisher's Description: Explorer, global green leader, and eco-TV host David de Rothschild recounts the extraordinary journey of the Plastiki, an innovative and mostly untested sixty-foot catamaran that floats on 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles. It was a voyage that took de Rothschild and a five-person crew 10,000 miles from the U.S. to Australia, sailing through rarely traveled, dangerous waters, risking their lives to call attention to our fragile oceans. Their exploration included urgent study of ocean pollution, island nations threatened by rising seas, damaged coral reefs, and the acidifying ocean itself and their discoveries are a call to action. Packed with exciting narrative, images, maps, journal entries, plans, and sketches, this is the only firsthand account of what may be the most important adventure of our time.

Burns, Loree Griffin. "The Garbage Patch." In Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007. Age Range: 10 and up Publisher's Description: Aided by an army of beachcombers, oceanographer Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer tracks trash in the name of science. From sneakers to hockey gloves, Curt monitors the watery fate of human-made cargo that has spilled into the ocean. The information he collects is much more than casual news; it is important scientific data. And with careful analysis, Curt, along with a community of scientists, friends, and beachcombers alike, is using his data to understand and protect our ocean.

Allison, Rachel Hope. I'm Not a Plastic Bag. Los Angeles, CA: Archaia Entertainment, 2012. Age Range: 6 and up Publisher's Description: Based on the real-life occurrence of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an island of floating trash in a remote area of the Northern Pacific Ocean more than twice the size of Texas, I'm Not a Plastic Bag tells a moving story about loneliness, beauty, and humankind's connection to our planet. Produced in conjunction with American Forests and the Global ReLeaf programs, Archaia will plant two trees for each tree used in the manufacturing of this book. Presented in partnership with JeffCorwinConnect, a global, ecological, educational and entertainment multimedia company launched by Jeff Corwin, the popular wildlife expert and nature conservationist.

Van Allsburg, Chris. Just a Dream. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990. Age Range: 4 - 8 years Publisher's Description: Walter is a litterbug who does not appreciate the beauty of nature, or understand his role in keeping the planet healthy . . . until a fantastic journey shows him the tragic fate that could befall Earth if humans like him are not more careful. Are Walter's actions really helping his planet along the road to destruction, or is it all just a dream?

O'Sullivan, Joanne. 101 Ways You Can Help Save the Planet Before You're 12! New York, NY: Lark Books, 2009. Age Range: 6 and up Publisher's Description: It's easy being green! Kids have enormous potential to affect change, and this enlightening book harnesses children's natural energy, enthusiasm, optimism, and drive to make a difference in the world. Young eco-activists will feel empowered as they begin doing simple things such as cutting down on water use, starting a compost bin, and creating litter-free lunches. From these activities will grow even greater sensitivity to how they, their families, schools, and neighbors can have a positive impact on our planet. A list of websites encourages further exploration.

Kelsey, Elin. Not Your Typical Book About the Environment. Toronto, Ontario: Owlkids Books Inc., 2010. Age Range: 9 and up Publisher's Description: This is an intriguing, fact-filled book about saving the environment in unusual ways. Imaginative, comic-booklike illustrations add to a lively layout that will keep readers moving from one paragraph to the next, and funny wordplay prevents the facts from becoming overwhelming or dry. The accessible narrative will help readers to realize how their purchases of food, clothes, and electronic equipment nurture or hurt the world around them, and achievable goals and ideas will enable them to pitch in and help. The concluding chapter discusses new and unique ways to create energy. Each chapter ends with an "Elin Explains" spread that describes ecological interrelatedness ("How Video Games and Cell Phones Are Connected to Gorillas") in a graphic-novel format. This hilarious, information-packed work is an excellent addition

Glaser, Linda. Our Big Home. Minneapolis, MN: Millbrook Press, 2000. Age Range: 5 and up Publisher's Description: A joyful celebration of the Earth with the important environmental message that we share the planet not only with all the various people of the world, but with the plant and animal worlds as well. The loosely rhymed poem describes water, sun, soil, air, wind, sky, night, and moon and serves as a breezy introduction to ecological interdependence. Kleven's colorful artwork is full of subtle detail and depicts children and adults playing, dancing, relaxing, and working all over the world-from the African plain to a Caribbean island to a South American mountain. The artist uses an effective mix of media, from collage to chalk, to portray depth of scenes and vibrancy of detail. A lively look at "-our big blue-green, growing-sun-warmed-life-giving-precious living home."