ACTIVITIES * TEACHING RESOURCES * LESSON PLANS * REVIEWS
Compost Stew
by Mary McKenna Siddals illustrated by Ashley Wolff Tricycle Press / 2010 Picture Book A recipe in rhyme for making dark, crumbly, rich, earth-friendly compost. LOOK INSIDE! - sample pages BUY at Amazon.com (U.S.) BUY at Amazon.ca (Canada) BUY from a local bookseller |
*PICK OF THE CROP MATERIALS*
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REVIEWSRhyming text presents a lively look at
some of the things that can become compost. The dynamic gouache and collage illustrations are made of recycled materials. –Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year A delightful alphabet book... for making your corner of the world green. –Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Best Book Award Just follow this fun A to Z rhyme of ingredients and you'll have a mushy mess all of your own. –The Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids & Teens 2011 * Sometimes, one title just jumps out of the pile of books and really speaks to us. Compost Stew is one such book... –Kiwi Magazine (starred review) An exuberant primer for green-minded kids. –Publishers Weekly Ashley Wolff's collage-style illustrations, made from newspaper, tea bags and other recycled materials, echo writer Mary McKenna Siddals's message of reducing waste. –Rachel Saslow in The Washington Post A rollicking, rhyming alphabetical recipe... for budding environmentalists. –Kirkus Reviews The brightly patterned collage artwork featuring a cast of multicultural kids working together will easily draw a young audience. –Booklist A potentially heavy-handed message is delivered with a light touch so that you want to start your own waste heap right away. Mission accomplished! –Susan Faust in the San Francisco Chronicle An alphabetic recipe for soil-enriching putrescibles... full of entertaining ickiness. –Dashka Slater in Sierra Magazine An imaginative and engaging introduction to the concept of composting. –Dave Jenkinson in CM magazine Using cafeteria scraps, recycled paper, and grass clippings would teach students how to make this rich, robust stew work for their own school gardens and, literally and figuratively, improve the earth. –Mary Hazelton in School Library Journal An upbeat introduction to composting as an important step for caring for the Earth. –Childsake Beautiful, poetic, evocative--and educational... I hope it will become as widely read and popular as it deserves. –Mollie Katzen, author of Moosewood Cookbook and Pretend Soup If ever there was a hilarious educational A to Z to understand the dirt on composting, this is the one. –Laure Latham, San Francisco Green Parenting Examiner Simple but effectively informative for young children... a great fit for eco-friendly schools and homes. –Lee Littlewood in Kids' Home Library So engaging and interesting, I didn't realize it was also an ABC book until I reached the letter W! Fun to read and informative to boot. –Pink Me: Children's books reviewed for grownups A recipe to whip up for Mother Earth. –Leigh Goldman Balber in UrbanBaby Buzz With delightful multimedia pictures on every page... and a catchy text, this is a perfect book to share with children who are eager to “be green.” –Marya Jansen-Gruber in Through the Looking Glass Rhyming how-to book on the importance of composting, the simple act of turning kitchen and yard waste into nutrient-rich soil. –BookPage Lively verse that will beguile the ear as it teaches kids how they can nourish their gardens. Little ones will enjoy Wolff's bright, colorful collages that almost seem to pop off the pages... –Spirituality and Health Beautiful collages help reinforce the "eco" message of this clever rhyme. A great introduction to earth friendly living. –Picture Book Features ~ B3OK “Bouncy verse” that keeps the pages turning, while the eyes gobble up the collage illustrations. –Marsha Weiner in Cornucopia Collection Simple steps for cooking up compost stew follow the alphabet, and create a refrain that kids will love to repeat. –Kathy Carroll at Celebrate Picture Books Click here for Goodreads Reviews |