How Green Are the Kids in America?

April 18, 2010 - PRLog -- How many kids in America, under age 9, know the meaning of “going green?” Most teens and adults know what it means to “go green.” After all, everything is “going green” these days, from cleaning supplies, to hotels and restaurants (even the Oscars have gone green!) but do kids under age 9 know the meaning of “going green?” With that question in mind, KS Publications, Inc. surveyed a group of children in America between the ages of 4 and 8. Every child was given a survey with one question: What does going green mean?

Based on the survey, 1 out of 5 kids in America (under age 9) thinks that “going green” means “having the flu,” “turning green like Kermit the Frog,” or “being grouchy like Oscar the Grouch.” With the abundance of “green” products and “green” advertising, how is it possible that 20% of kids in America, under the age of 9, have absolutely no idea what “going green” means?

Children’s misconception about “going green” is troubling, yet the misconception is what inspired author Kathy Cane to write "Jimmy’s Gone Green," a picture book that uses clever rhymes and bold illustrations to teach kids the meaning of “going green.” According to the author, “the book plays on the common misconception by children that ‘going green’ means being sick with the flu or turning the color green.” The author’s play on words is clear by the book’s front cover, in which Jimmy, the main character, is lying in bed with the flu and is literally green!

"Jimmy’s Gone Green" is full of  catchy rhymes, such as “Going green means being smarter, like recycling and conserving water” and “Well, it’s simple you see. Follow these ten steps and you’ll go green like me!” The author hopes the rhymes and alluring images of green Jimmy will draw in young readers and eventually help end children’s misconceptions about “going green.”

For more information about “Jimmy’s Gone Green,” visit http://www.jimmysgonegreen.com.