Before I start Street Artist’s Week I had to do an extra post to show you the best Christmas book I’ve ever seen When Santa Turned Green. The author Victoria Perla said she “wrote this story to teach my children about a serious issue – global warming – in a non-scary way.” The story starts in November when Santa and his elves are preparing for Christmas. Santa notices all the snow is melting on the North Pole. He investigates further and finds the ice caps shrinking and the glaciers melting. To keep winter cold and Christmas white, Santa goes on a mission to spread the word about global warming to all the children so they can help save the earth. He shows up early, coming down the chimney to teach kids to walk to school instead of using cars, to recycle, to use reusable lunch containers and turn off lights when they leave the room. Santa decides to wear a green suit every day except for Christmas Eve. The back of the book has a place, reminiscent of a Christmas list only it’s titled My Green Ideas so kids can put in their ideas for saving the planet. Not only is this a great story but the illustrations are beautiful. The character style is adorable and the backgrounds have so much interesting texture. The book is printed on 100% recycled paper with soy based ink and one dollar from the sale of each book goes to an environmental charity. Just buying this book as gift can make you feel like you’re doing something good for the planet. Learn more about the book here where you can also pick up a copy.

ps. I’ve just learned Con Ed gives you the option of wind power for just a few dollars more each month. Everyone should check their electricity provider to see if they have a more eco-friendly choice since sometimes they offer it but don’t advertise it very well.

© Julia Rothman 2007