Every hero has a beginning. Before he was Eco, he was one ordinary maple leaf on a tip-top branch, happy with sunshine, rain and his robin neighbors, and telling the old tree he hopes to someday help someone up close. A pesticide spray leaves him brown and curled, and the wind carries him over fields, a river and the rooftops of town, right through Owen’s kitchen window and into a capful of Mom’s very first Ecolosophy concentrate. As the cap glows, your child taps to bring him back step by step: green again, a heart shape, eyes, a smile, and finally arms, legs and knees (“Leaves do not usually get knees”). He becomes a heart because, as he puts it, cleaning isn’t really about dirt, it’s about love. Owen names him Eco, and Eco chooses his mission: to care for the planet, for kids, and for the moms and dads who clean with love for the people they love, and to help up close, through stories like this one. The next morning, Mom tries her new Ecolosophy on the stovetop, and then Eco starts his very first job.
The lesson: a big heart can grow from a hard day, and helping up close is the best job of all.
Lessons in this book
Leaves are hard workers. They turn sunlight into food and help make the air we breathe.
Living things need care. Pesticides can harm plants, bugs, birds and waterways, so grown-ups handle them carefully.
Hard days can lead to good things. Eco’s worst day became the start of his best adventure.
Everyone has a job. Eco’s is to help, up close. What’s yours?
Cleaning is about love. We clean with love, for the people we love.
Grown-ups spray, kids wipe. And the bottle goes back up high.
What your child practices
EmpathyFeeling with a character through a hard moment, and cheering when he’s made new.
SequencingBuilding Eco step by step: color, shape, eyes, smile, arms and legs.
Nature scienceWhat leaves need (sun and rain) and what they give (fresh air).
Print awarenessWords light up as they’re read. Tap any word to hear it on its own.
Talking with kids about chemicals and nature
Eco’s story is make-believe, but the idea behind it is real: pesticides can harm plants, bugs, birds and waterways.
Keep all cleaning products up high and out of reach. Grown-ups spray, and children can help wipe.
Ecolosophy is a multipurpose cleaner for surfaces in your home. It isn’t meant for plants, pets or people, so use it as the label directs.
Replacing old cleaners? Many cleaning products count as household hazardous waste. Don’t pour them down the drain or put them in the trash. Check with your city or county for a household hazardous waste drop-off. (U.S. EPA)
Cleaning safety
Cleaning products are for grown-ups. Keep them out of reach of children and pets. Avoid eyes. If swallowed or in eyes, call Poison Control 1-800-222-1222.
Made for calm play
No ads, no purchases, and nothing your child types leaves this device.
No timers and no losing. A wrong answer gets a gentle hint and another try.
Made for little fingers: big touch targets, and a friendly pointing hand appears if your child isn’t sure what to touch.
Talk about it afterwards
What were the little leaf’s three favorite things?
How did the little leaf feel after the stinky spray? How would you help a friend who felt that way?
What happened when he landed in the cap?
Why did Owen choose the name Eco?
Eco’s job is to help, up close. How can you help someone today?
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From Ecolosophy
These stories are free for everyone. Eco is the leaf-heart at the center of everything we make. Look for Eco’s other stories at ecolosophy.com.