An idea-inspiring addition to the burgeoning genre of environmentally conscientious children’s books. Young readers will...
The first installation of Noll’s environmental picture-book series centers on a boy and father who imaginatively transform others’ discarded objects into functional items.
Young L.T., short for “Little Tommy,” often accompanies his father to the junkyard. Illustrator Fall’s boldly colored graphic illustrations depict L.T. and his father in their “junkyard truck,” (assembled with recycled parts) arriving at a heaping pile of castoff bicycles, television sets, guitars, teddy bears, and more. A maniacally enthusiastic “Recycleville” keeper, Mr. Salvage, perches on top of the pile. What others perceive as trash, L.T.’s father envisions as pieces of treasure. Though L.T. is less than enthused by the secondhand aesthetic of their truck and other items, his teacher, Miss White, helps him realize the positive environmental impact of reusing materials. This concept may be a little abstract for some young readers, particularly since the book doesn’t explain how recycling benefits the Earth, but this omission may provide an opening for parents or caretakers to explain. When L.T.’s father suggests they build a bike out of recycled mismatching parts, L.T. is concerned about the appearance of his ride. Ultimately, L.T. sets an example for young readers by respecting his father’s lessons while creatively achieving his own vision. Fall’s lively depictions show L.T.’s face lighting up as he realizes he can paint the bike a uniform white. L.T. even makes the most of his ugly bike helmet by wearing a hat on top. L.T. continues to be inspired by his father’s inventiveness, always finding a solution for challenges by recycling. As an endnote, Noll offers the young reader a list of 15 easy ways to reduce environmental impact, recycle, and save energy. Additionally, Noll provides environmental awareness fliers, coloring pages with Fall’s illustrations, and more to encourage the young environmental activist.
An idea-inspiring addition to the burgeoning genre of environmentally conscientious children’s books. Young readers will learn about compromise as well as innovative ways to recycle.Pub Date: Jan. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-1939377500
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Green Kids Press
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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