In Njau, Gambia, Isatou begins finding plastic bags everywhere. Soon, village goats are eating the bags from the ground and getting sick. Isatou gets her friends to collect and wash the bags; they learn how to crochet from Isatou's sister, and make the bags into spools of plastic thread, which they use to make recycled purses, which they sell in the city.

Back matter: author's note, map of Africa with inset of Gambia, Wolof glossary and pronunciation guide, photos, timeline, further reading ( )

Fabulous mixed-media art illustrates this tale of environmental responsibility, ingenuity, resourcefulness, and entrepreneurship. An excellent introduction to the concepts of reduce/reuse/recycle and sustainability.

Note: I received a digital galley of this book through NetGalley. ( )

I've been reading more children's books this year and some of them have made me miss teaching English. This is one of those books--what a great story about a group of people who saw a problem and made a plan to fix it. Would totally use this book to launch a research project unit. Loved the resources at the end of the book to learn more about different regions of Africa. ( )

"The simple format of this picture book belies the strength of its content, a story lovingly supported by charming collage illustrations. As a girl, Ceesay realized that the goats on which her village relied were dying because they were eating plastic bags. She also saw that people were tossing the used bags on the ground just as they had always thrown away their baskets when no longer useful―except the plastic bags, unlike the baskets, weren't biodegradable. So Ceesay figured out how to use crochet, a skill with which the villagers were already familiar, to make purses out of the plastic bags. Simple but lyrical text conveys this beautiful, thought-provoking tale of ecological awareness and recycling ('The basket tips. One fruit tumbles. Then two. Then ten.'). An inspiring account." ―starred, School Library Journal

This informational picture book demonstrates how the small actions of individuals can help overcome large community or even world problems. Small steps have great results. Author’s Note, Glossary, Timeline, Further Reading.