I didn’t have to read many pages of Helen Coronato’s upcoming book, Eco-Friendly Families, to know that she and I think along similar lines.  Take paper towels, for example.  Seems Helen used a lot more of them prior to having her children, rolls of them, in fact, to do her housework.  I remember not using them at all until my kids were on the scene, preferring the single life luxury of linen tea towels in my kitchen.  One marriage and two kids later, my giant select a size rolls always seem to empty.  Helen, I’m sure, is using more practical means to clean up these days.  The kicker is that we both spend any time at all thinking about paper towels.

After publishing last year The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Reading with Your Child, Coronato is no stranger to the “help-your-family-help-yourself” genre. So, I’m betting that Coronato has done some pretty idiot-proof thinking about most things green.  The evidence is playfully demonstrated in the pages of Eco-Friendly Families, due out August 5th, which is chock full of great craft ideas, recipes, planners and really useful strategies for bringing a touch of deep green to family living.

At the heart of the book is a simple premise:  Lots of little ideas make all the difference in the world.  “Instead of changing everything, I changed something,” writes Coronato.  “Before I knew it, one something had evolved into a household of somethings.” From choosing who gets to drag the recycling bins down the driveway, to convincing kids to eat organic foods, to taking the hassle out of holiday gift-giving, Coronato’s guide relies on the family as a unit, as an agent of change, and celebrates the family who takes eco-actions that help the planet.  Learn more at helencoronato.com