Penn School of Social Policy & Practice Professor Pens Children’s Book on Environmental Impact

 PHILADELPHIA — Femida Handy, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice, shows the next generation of young readers how to take steps toward becoming more environmentally friendly with her first children’s book, “Sandy’s Incredible Shrinking Footprint.”

Sandy, the main character, enjoys visiting her grandfather each summer at the beach and playing in the sand.  One day, Sandy finds a pile of trash on the beach and learns how every person leaves an ecological footprint – and how it’s everyone’s responsibility to minimize those footprints.

The illustrations, by Adrianna Steele-Card, include artwork featuring a collage of repurposed, reused and recycled materials.

“Sandy’s Incredible Shrinking Footprint” advocates personal responsibility and provides a list of everyday steps children can take to minimize their environmental impact.

Handy’s co-author is Carole H. Carpenter.

Handy’s area of expertise is the economics of the non-profit sector, including micro-foundational issues of non-profits, non-governmental organizations and volunteerism.  She also studies the economics of human behavior and organizational life, the economics of social welfare and the economics of environmental issues.

Handy also teaches in the Master of Environmental Studies program.