Product Reviews

Author: Sally J Hall

Publisher: Green Books

What's it all about: This book is all about how to be greener or make more ethical choices of products while looking after a baby or small child.

Presentation:

The book is in paperback format, and printed on 100% recycled papers. There's not much in the way of photos or pictures, and what colour there is in the book is all green too, to hammer the point home. It's very easy to dip in and out of as it is split into clear chapters and there's a great section at the back giving all the weblinks and details for the companies and products mentioned.

Tone and target audience:

This book is for anyone interested in green and ethical issues, whether you're a die hard eco-warrior or just someone interested in fair trade and recycling. It mostly deals with kitting out a house for a newborn so would be ideal for pregnant Mums, but parents with children of all ages will find something of interest in here.

The good points :

This book covers all the eco-issues you could think of, from second hand goods through fair trade products and onto reusable nappies. The information is presented in a very easy to read format and explains why we should be concerned about the various points being discussed. There's a great section about eco gifts for new babies and lots about natural alternatives for cleaning and laundry products. It's not wholly baby focused either, and talks about more eco-friendly ways to decorate your home and buy your clothing which applies to older children and adults as much as babies.

The bad points :

The book can come over as a bit "preachy" in parts, especially when discussing things like organic food and nappies. Food miles is discussed in one paragraph, then the rest of the chapter is all about how great organic is and how conventional food is so dreadful. It would have been more helpful to mention about buying local if possible, organic if you can afford to. It doesn't have to be an "all or nothing" approach but the author definitely seems to think it is. Similarly with nappies, the author is very pro-reusable nappies, so much so that she kicks off the chapter with a long list of all the nasty chemicals in disposable and the illnesses they can casue, which would put off anyone who was already using disposable nappies - whether the eco variety or conventional.

Best Feature: A good all round book which covers all of the basic issues and gives links to find out more. Worst Feature: The preachy tone and lack of unbiased scientific links, especially in the nappy and food sections. Verdict: This book covers all the eco-issues you could think of but the 'all or nothing' approach is off-putting

Ease of Use:   Value for Money:   Quality:   Overall score: