HOORAY, IT'S GARBAGE DAY!

Who knew that trash collection could be such a treat?

For one young brown-skinned kid, the cacophonous sound of the garbage truck approaching the house brings excitement galore. Don’t you know, “it’s GARBAGE DAY!” That means thrilling noises, lights, and shaking emanating from the truck and—even better—scrunching of the contents of the neighborhood’s trash cans. The kid’s pals aren’t immune to the high drama as they watch and listen in awe and then reenact a garbage-collecting scenario that includes assembling a toy truck and gathering assorted throwaway items. As they take in this ode to rubbish pickups, children will collect some brief tips about composting and recycling, though a scene in which kids repair and buff up items to give away is downright confusing when the implication is that they will go into the garbage truck as well. Though the text is a tad overlong, the jaunty, rollicking rhymes will keep children entertained, and they will merrily chime in with the refrain: “Hooray, it’s GARBAGE DAY!” Some number- and color-recognition cues are incorporated via text and art. Illustrations are colorful, cheery, and lively; children and sanitation workers are diverse in gender and racial presentation. A brown-skinned child wears glasses; a White-presenting kid is shown in a wheelchair. Onomatopoeic words in display type appear throughout, emphasizing the rumbling, crashing sounds the garbage truck makes.

Useful for community-helpers units and fun for vehicle mavens.