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CM . . .
. Volume XXI Number 35. . . .May 15, 2015
excerpt:
The bright, animated coloured-pencil illustrations combine with questions in the first few pages to arouse curiosity: �What on earth? What is going on?� Who can resist following the �nannies and grannies and moms and dads�.and babies too� as they parade to the park? Look closely and you�ll see they all carry a bucket or pot, push a wheelbarrow or pull a wagon. Charlie�s smile says it all as he �cradles the pot [of dirt]in his arms.� On the first page, Charlie�s balcony is bare, but, by the end, he�s lovingly tending a lush collection of potted plants. Charlie�s Dirt Day is part of the �Tell-Me-More! Storybook� series, perfect for the youngest readers/listeners to enjoy accessible facts and activities. It would make a great gift for Earth Day! Highly Recommended.
Gillian Richardson is a freelance writer living in BC.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca. Copyright � the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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Young Charlie is drawn to the park with many of his neighbours for a special event. The city has been composting recycled kitchen and garden waste and now has a grand supply of rich organic material to distribute to gardeners. When Charlie hears how several neighbours will grow tomatoes, onions and herbs for his favourite meal, spaghetti, he�s thrilled to learn that he can grow plants too -- in pots on his apartment balcony. By the end of summer, he�s able to contribute his own tomatoes to the spaghetti sauce recipe.
It�s never too soon to teach kids about recycling and composting, and how the cyclical process of decomposition works to give us food. This engaging story shares a youngster�s curiosity, his delight in discovery, his willingness to try something new and his enthusiasm to share and continue his success. Then, in the final pages, the author builds on readers� interest with facts about how compost is made, how it can be used in community and rooftop gardens and ways to become involved in a personal composting and growing project. There are instructions for creating compost in a cup and growing cherry tomatoes in a small pot. Readers can get their hands dirty and find out what Charlie was so excited about.