Blog post for Going Home Stories blog I WANT YOU TO KNOW. www.goinghomestories.com/blog

I won’t lie.  It’s difficult to apply the ‘green’ label to something like a book.  It is made out of trees, after all – lovely, wind-swept, petal-producing, bird-nesting, shade-making trees. However, I’m doing as much as I can reasonably do beyond peddling a generator for the printing press.  I have selected FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper and board (that’s the hardcover element), and I am proud to say that the book is being printed in the USA in good ol’ Minnesota dontchaknow.

I will be doing my best to offset the carbon footprint of this book’s printing, as well.  The freight from Minnesota to Los Angeles and the replacement of the trees will be counteracted by carbon offset points.  More to follow.  (If anyone has had a good experience with a particular ‘carbon management solution’ company, please let me know!)

It has been disappointing to find that so many of my children’s books are printed in China. It really takes something away from a wonderful lesson or story to see on the back leaf that the book was “Printed In Singapore” or “Manufactured in China”.  I just did a quick look at a portion of my son’s bookshelf — 12 from China, 2 from USA.  Yikes!  Go ahead.  Go look.  I’ll wait for you.

Disappointing, huh?  All to save a few cents.  I was bummed to find one particular favorite (about the beauty and value of a tree) was actually printed in China, too.  Really!?  You have my word that the books in the I WANT YOU TO KNOW series (and anything published by Going Home Stories) will come from the United States and our hard working printing presses and will have FSC certification.  It’s just the way that it should be.

Blog post for Going Home Stories blog I WANT YOU TO KNOW. www.goinghomestories.com/blog