Compost Stew

Earth Day is soon approaching.  If you are looking for a new way to help the environment, I have just the recipe for you, "Compost Stew" (Siddals, 2010)!  This book gives you the recipe to make compost.  Composting is a way of naturally breaking down some of the items we throw out regularly.  This book teaches children more about how they can help help in the process.  

There are many things I like about this creative children's non-fiction book.  It follows the A,B,C's.  It rhymes. It has characters from different cultures as well as animals you will find at home and on the farm. In addition to having a novel subject topic, the style of illustration is new and exciting as well.  These things, I feel, all work together to make this an interesting and engaging non-fiction book for children.  It simplifies the subject matter, as it can be confusing even for some adults!  It shows many children from all different cultures participating.  People on the farm, and people in the neighborhood can all make "Compost Stew" (Siddals, 2010).
The "Chef's  Notes" in the back of the book give some additional information to help you decide which "ingredients" may or may not be good to use in your "stew" (Siddals, 2010).  

The illustrator uses gouache and collage to create the illustrations (Siddals, 2010). These illustrations help illuminate the subject matter and are fascinating to look at. I believe this book meets Galda, Cullinan, & Sipes (2010) recommendations for quality non-fiction for children.



Reflection Questions:
1. How do you make compost stew?
2. What are some things at home that you use regularly that would work great in compost stew?
3. How does compost stew help the environment?

Motivational Activity:
Think of what you have at home that you could use to hold compost.  Make a poster for your family that shows how you could work together to make a compost stew, what ways it helps the environment, and what you can use the compost for when it is done "cooking".  

References
Galda, L., Cullinan, B., & Sipe, L. (2010). Literature and the child 
         (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. 

Siddals, M. (2010). Compost stew: An a to z recipe for the earth. 
         Berkley, MI: Tricycle Press.