Children's Literature

Books can awaken children’s interest at an early age. The first book can be a photo album showing mom and dad and other siblings or a hard carton book with simple pictures of well-known household images e.g., pets, toys and furniture. These books can be chewed upon and plastic books can be sucked. The so-called plasticizers or phthalates can be problematic in toys, especially in soft plastics. They are considered especially harmful for children’s health as they mimic hormones in the human body and disrupt the hormone system.

Most books however are without such chemicals and paper or cartons do not involve any risk. Books are important for the entire human life span and children “read” books long before they learn how to read. They read the photos and ponder over the characters. It is important to teach children to take good care of their books and to put them back on the shelf after use. Choosing a book for each and every child must also depend on the individual interests of the child, even though classic children literature can easily pass along from generation to generation.

From an environmental standpoint less paper goes into printing a few books that are read many times, instead of books that are read only by a few. When children’s books have passed from child to child and no one in the family needs them anymore they can be given to an antiquarian or to the library in the school or kindergarten. When a book is totally finished it can be recycled as paper in the nearest depot. Maybe the book will eventually become toilet paper.