Garbology Kids: Where Do Recyclable Materials Go? by Sabbithry Persad
| Garbology Kids: Where Do Recyclable Materials Go? by Sabbithry Persad | |
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| Category: Confident Readers | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: A good introduction to the principles of recycling for the early school years. Some of the phrases will be unknown in the UK but the principles are good everywhere. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 40 | Date: April 2011 |
| Publisher: Firewater Media Group | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0981243900 | |
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I was once told that a lot of children think that milk comes out of a bottle or a carton and are disconcerted to find that it actually comes out of a cow. The thinking has been reversed in Sabbithry Persad's book 'Where Do Recyclable Materials Go?' It's all very well dividing up your waste but it doesn't make a lot of sense unless you actually know what happens to it after you put it out at the kerb. And it all started when Tiana and Peter went looking for their dog Bubbles who loved to go running after the recycle truck.
It might look like a child's picture book but there's rather more to it than you would expect. It would be perfect for children just starting at school up to the age of about eight and would be ideal for class or group discussion. There's an exploration of how recyclable materials are collected and the impact of ensuring that they don't go into landfill. There's the financial aspect of the operation – how recycling saves resources, energy and money – and how children can takes practical steps to help. If you start at this age it's a habit which is likely to stay with you for life.
I had a couple of reservations about this book and they're to do with the story rather than the subject. On the cover Bubbles the dog is shown as sitting in a recycle bin. OK – it's obviously a bit of fun, but some idiot, somewhere is going to believe that pets can be recycled . That's a minor point and I probably wouldn't even have mentioned it was it not for the fact that the story is based on Bubbles the dog chasing the recycle truck which the story makes clear is something that happens on a regular basis. This isn't OK. At some point there's likely to be an accident, involving Bubbles or someone else – and it will all have been avoidable.
If you put that to one side there's a reasonable story in the book with a lot of knowledge delivered with a light touch. It is primarily for the American market (many of the phrases will be completely unknown in the UK), but the principles will hold good anywhere. Children are treated as responsible adults and there's nothing patronising about the message. That's a good thing because the more I see of adult attitudes about recycling the more I'm convinced that it's going to be children who lead the way.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
Have a look at the Garbology Kids website for more information. Younger children might like to start on 10 Things I Can Do To Help My World by Melanie Walsh or Bob's Great Green Book. We've also thoroughly enjoyed Planet In Peril by Anita Ganeri and Mike Phillips.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Garbology Kids: Where Do Recyclable Materials Go? by Sabbithry Persad at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Garbology Kids: Where Do Recyclable Materials Go? by Sabbithry Persad at Amazon.com.
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