polka dot suitcase

April brings showers, taxes…and Earth Day!  To celebrate Earth Day this month, I’ve got two fun giveaways planned here at Polka Dot Suitcase. The first is a book I wrote, Planet Earth: 25 Environmental Projects You Can Build Yourself. I know what you’re thinking (“Sigh. Another one of your books, Kate?”). But this book has a special place in my heart. Not only was it the first one I’d written, but it’s about one of my favorite topics — the environment. Simply put, I love me some nature. But not in an extremist, wear-biodegradeable-underwear kind of way. Rather, in a “wow, how amazing is the world we live in” type of way.

So this month, I’ll be exploring some of the cool things our world’s got going on for it. Oh, and check back in a couple weeks — I’ll be giving away a fantastic plant kit to celebrate the actual week of Earth Day.

Wanna enter the drawing to win the book? Between today and Friday, leave a comment here on this post. Tell me your favorite thing about the world we live in. Do you heart the way the ocean looks at sunrise? Or are you more a slugs and snails kind of person? Got a favorite animal that you’ve driven your family to madness over because you’ve decorated the whole house, say, in cow prints? Maybe you love to get out there in the spring and get dirt under your fingernails as you plant your garden. I’d like to hear about it!

Wanna know what’cher playin’ for? The book is for kids ages 9-12 (but there’s no book police so you can read it if you’re 13-up or 0-9). The first half discusses the elements of the environment — the sun, wind, water, earth. The second half tackles some of the problems the environment is facing — pollution, global warming, etc. And of course it’s loaded with activities like a wind-powered bubble machine, making dye from plants, a worm castle, and all kinds of cool stuff.

Fine print: Drawing ends at 5 pm EST on Friday, April 10. Only U.S. residents, please (shipping costs). Thanks for playing, and come on back this week for some fun Earth Day/Month stuff.