I get that this is a difficult topic to introduce to children - after all, how enthralling is recycling even to adults? - but this book didn't feel as if it introduced anything "fun" into the mix. Nothing really grabbed at my attention as I read. It's a very simple, sparse story that I can't see a lot of kids getting very involved in. Even the art style feels very cut and paste, like it was drawn by the company that makes all of those motivational posters for elementary schools. Still, it's better than nothing.

It's a bit sad, admitting that's the best thing I can say about this book. ( )

An empty lot slowly becomes a dump in this picture-book examination of recycling, leading to a crew of rats moving in and bullying the local insects. Just when the bugs are at the end of their rope, something exciting happens: the local humans announce a recycling day. On the big day, the children clean up all the trash, and sort it into various categories to be recycled, answering the bugs' questions about the process in the meantime. When it is finally clean, a community garden is planted, and the insects have a beautiful new home...

Both fiction and non-fiction, author/illustrator Edward Miller's Recycling Day pairs an entertaining tale about insects, rats and humans with informational sidebars giving more details about the creation and recycling process of various categories of trash - glass, metal, plastic, paper, and compost. Additional sidebars give facts and figures about energy savings that might result from recycling various items, as well as the rate that Americans and other peoples consume those items. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books about recycling and composting in particular, and environmental stewardship in general. ( )

A good introduction to what it is and why it's important. ( )

I think that this is a great book to read to children to teach them about recycling. Recycling is such an important part of taking care of the environment and all children should be educated about it. This story is about a group of bugs living in an empty lot and rats move in and take over. A group of volunteers come to the lot to clean it up, and the bugs get their home back. The volunteers end up teaching the bugs about recycling, composting, and how to take care of the trash. This book also provides facts about littering, trash, and recycling. As a class activity, the class could make their own compost out of their trash. ( )

This book would be good to start off a lesson on recycling. It will get your students interested and wanting to know more. It also shows them simple things that they, as kids, can do to help the Earth. ( )