THIS BOOK STINKS!

Stinky facts about waste and what we can do about it.

With lively, colorful design and limited text, Flynn takes on the problems of the “staggering amount of trash” we humans create and offers suggestions for appropriate waste disposal, recycling, reuse, and composting roughly organized into chapters. Each double-page spread covers a different topic, introduced with an attention-getting headline (“From Filth to Fashion”; “Food Waste Facts to Chew on”) and developed with factoids and short paragraphs. These are presented on colorful, geometric backgrounds and strewn around the pages along with drawings and photographs and splotches of color. The effect is almost overwhelming, which may be the intent. Flynn explains how landfills work, describes the plastic in our oceans and debris orbiting the Earth in space, and points out how our food waste could feed the hungry. She introduces garbage collectors, dumpster divers, artists who reuse materials, and a trash activist. She shows that problems of waste management are worldwide, and she offers examples of progress from many countries. The juxtaposition of problems and possibilities makes this a more positive book than it might have been, and there are suggested activities that are well within the capacity of the middle-grade audience.

An enthusiastic invitation to become a waste warrior.