March 2020: The "5 Rs" -- Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

For "Repurposing" both Rainbow Weaver: Tejedora del Arcoiris and One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia are excellent books and fine examples of the extent to which repurposing can benefit a community and the environment. I would consider Rainbow Weaver: Tejedora del ArcoirisRainbow Weaver to be a better introduction for younger children -- the colors are beautiful and immediately captivating (both my children hurried over when they saw it) and the main character is a little girl (I always appreciate stories that show children making a positive difference). It's also a fairly gentle story in that it is obvious the littered plastic bags are unpleasant and problematic for the village but the negatives are not the focus. It's very optimistic and even cheerful, focusing on how the little girl wants to help weave cloth to sell to earn money for her school supplies and how she tries and tries again with various materials until she ultimately finds one that she can be successful with and that also helps clean up her village -- plastic bags! Perhaps it's a rosy-colored portrait, but for very young or sensitive children, it might strike the right balance of presenting a problem without dwelling on it, leaving the children focused on the solution and positive action rather than weighed down with trouble. The main girl in the story is a fictional character, but the Author's Note makes clear that the author has spent time in Guatemala with the Mayan people there and that she has also been heavily involved in the organization Mayan Hands, which her Guatemalan friends started in their adopted home city of Albany, New York in the 1980s to help the Mayan people sell their woven plastic goods.

One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia
"People thought I was too young and that women couldn't be leaders. I took these things as challenges; they gave me more power. I didn't call out the problems -- I called out solutions." -- Isatu Ceesay

This book is outstanding! It shows the positive difference one person can make by realizing there is a problem and actually being brave enough to do something about it. Little pebbles will make big ripples! Isatou's (EYE-suh-too) journey from a casual awakening to the existence of plastic bags to realizing the extreme problems they caused her community to her work to DO something about it is wonderful. The story is deftly told,. I'm not sure whether Isatou's first encounter with plastic bags happened as depicted here but it is engaging: She is coming home with fruits in her basket and the basket breaks and fruit tumbles everywhere. She is frustrated but "something silky dances past her eyes, softening her anger. [...] Isatou slides the strange fabric through her fingers and discovers it can carry things inside. She gathers her fruits in the bag. The basket is useless now. She drops it, knowing it will crumble and mix back in with the dirt." She is excited about this sturdy new bag but Grandmother is not pleased when she brings it home to her village, "'Plastic.' Grandmother frowns. 'There's more in the city.'"

At first, though, the plastic bags are wonderful. People carry things easily with them, children poke holes and drink water from them. Isatou thinks the colors are so beautiful. But, everyone simply discards the plastic on the ground and soon it becomes a problem.

As the years pass, is no longer beautiful, the ugliness of the plastic bag is everywhere. People try to burn it but the smell is terrible. Mosquitoes breed in the water that pools in the plastic and disease spreads. Goats eat the pastic and it strangles their insides and they die. Isatou feels she can no longer ignore the situation. And she has the idea to gather a group of women to gather and clean the plastic bags and then to make thread of the plastic bags and crochet it into purses.

Some people laugh at these women. Others call them "dirty." But they believe what they are doing is good. And, eventually, others realize this, too. The purses sell, there is money to buy more goats, the village is clean.

Wonderfully inspiring! The Author's Note provides more details and there is also a Wolof Glossary and Pronunciation Guide, a Timeline and Suggestions for Further Reading. The illustrations deftly incorporate plastic bags. Highly recommended!!!

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Cheryl wrote: "And of course you're right, there's a multitude of online sources for all of this. I'll try to restrain myself and only post what I've not seen elsewhere. ;)."

Oh, but I'm *glad* you are posting! I didn't mean to discourage you from sharing, just wanted to add to what you said in that I remembered finding recipes for vinegar-based cleaning solutions online. I think for most people it is becoming aware of things that is the first step and then there are sources out there online and other places that can be so helpful -- but the more we can share what is working for us, what we've learned, the better, because it's that initial raising awareness that is so important :-) For example, I never thought of using lemon instead of vinegar but I will look into that ;-)

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

An acquaintance of mine crochets soap dishes, water bottle slings, and probably other things from used plastic bags. *Refuse* is absolutely the first step, we all know, but if you keep forgetting your reusable bags in the car, and have more plastic bags than you need for trash can liners, re-purposing as a source of a textile is a neat idea.

[Thomas]

Cheryl wrote: "An acquaintance of mine crochets soap dishes, water bottle slings, and probably other things from used plastic bags. *Refuse* is absolutely the first step, we all know, but if you keep forgetting y..."

That brings back memories! My mother used to do that too! And these huge barbie southern belle gowns using purex/clorox bottles and purses.. My parents were so thrifty.
When my father was awaiting his social security disability to be approved, we would dumpster dive for food, items that stores had thrown away that could be cleaned, fixed and resold. We even climbed into open air dumps (when dumping was legal on the mountain before they knew about leachates) to retrieve items for reclamation, just to make ends meet.
My cousin's friend has used every plastic bag he'd ever received from the store into rugs he's made for family and friends. Both my mother and husband's mother made clothing and quilts from scraps. My favorite pieces were matching dresses my MIL made for the girls.
I've made quilts from my husband's old ties instead of throwing them away, into a Bow-tie quilt. I kept old baby food jars for mixing my acrylic paints used in creating art canvases. Crystal light plastic containers for "seed-saving" from my gardens. Colorfully painted metal cans to hold pencils for the grand-kids homework.
My husband has a habit of refilling his old gatorade/powerade bottles with powder and water. I don't think that's healthy due to the microplastics, but cant' tell a 62 yr old man anything.

[QNPoohBear]

I had to skip this week's children's room visit. There are too many germs floating around the state right now. Hopefully I can get to some of these at the private library which is not as busy.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Oh yes, those old glass baby food jars were always in high demand... I never had any because I gave my boys bits out of the family cooking, but my uncle used theirs well in their workshop.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

QNPoohBear wrote: "I had to skip this week's children's room visit. There are too many germs floating around the state right now. Hopefully I can get to some of these at the private library which is not as busy."

I hope you are keeping well and that you'll be able to get some of the books soon.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Thomas wrote: "That brings back memories! My mother used to do that too"

Loved all your reminiscences and excellent ideas! Thanks for sharing.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

For anyone considering "Rot" and composting:
Compost Stew (we read this last year)
So much fun! I was surprised how much I liked this. Pleasant rhymes, engaging illustrations (not my typical cup of tea, but they work wonderfully because they utilize "scraps" just like compost does), and a great lesson about what you can compost (and what you should not compost!) and why it is important. We read this for Earth Day and my children loved it and have asked for several readings since then.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I wish we could compost. We used to, but there's no safe place to dump it here.

Anyway, for repurposing/ upcycling from a limited accumulated stash of craft supplies, I read three books.

My favorite is the simplest, a little story called "The Make-Something Club" https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Slightly more advanced (has introductory section), is "Crafting with Duct Tape "https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I only gave one star to "Cool Fabric Projects" https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I also borrowed some books that I hope will be fun for people who have very minimal supplies, to make projects from things that would truly get thrown away:

Trash to Treasure: A Kid's Upcycling Guide to Crafts (the author is the one I already gave one star to, though, so my expectations are low) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Amazing Recycled Projects You Can Create
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Junk Modeling
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I don't actually especially recommend any of these, unfortunately. The latter two are worth a look if you're sincerely interested and your library has them; otherwise read whatever your library does happen to have, or go online with a request for what to do if you have a lot of a certain thing (for example, 'ways to craft with tp rolls').

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

In the meantime there is one book that I actually loved so much I bought a copy for myself. Most projects use scraps and bits of materials; there's very little that most people would have to buy. There are also lots of projects. And they're easy, small & cute, too!

Sneaky Art: Crafty Surprises to Hide in Plain Sight

I admit that I haven't tried any yet. I think my stumbling block is that I can't decide which to do first!

[Thomas]

Cheryl wrote: "I wish we could compost. We used to, but there's no safe place to dump it here.

You can safely keep old coffee grounds and egg shells to collect in a small covered bucket to use to enrich the soil in a balcony or porch container garden, if that's something you like doing.

I have extensive raised vegetable garden beds on my property, but also have small containers for cut-n-go salad greens, container cukes and tomato plants.

I'm hoping the rains let up soon here, so I can get outside and enjoy! We're quite water-logged here in Tennessee.
gammy

[Thomas]

Kathryn wrote: "Thomas wrote: "That brings back memories! My mother used to do that too"

Loved all your reminiscences and excellent ideas! Thanks for sharing."

That's so kind of you to say! :) Been busy the last few days helping middle child with creating a birthday cake for her sister's eldest son (my grandson). Since we're not "professional" cake decorators, we have to scrounge for supplies, usually boxes. I break down good boxes like those from Amazon and Kohl's in order to transport the cakes. Ugg..there are way too many birthdays coming up.
So many things that can be repurposed between art, hardware/home maintenance and baking.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Here's another thought. If you were into that Adult Coloring fun a few years ago and have all these pretty papers and nothing to do with them, use them to make origami or other paper projects, or make them into organizer envelopes, or collage them into posters....

[QNPoohBear]

The private library did not have any of the books except The Old Truck. Boo hoo.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I'm thrilled that they had that.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet is a big book. Lots and lots of facts. Arresting, almost appealing illustrations. Optimistic, not disheartening, but doesn't sugarcoat either.

I love the tote bag from an old t-shirt - no sewing (or ironing, only scissors) required!

Recommendations abound. Some are trite. (Turn off lights when you leave a room.) Some need further explanation (where does the electricity for electric cars come from? ... maybe burning coal...). Many are worth considering and likely to be new to many readers (stop buying microfiber linens - they're made of plastic and shed microplastic when laundered!).

The 3 Rs offered are Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Includes back matter for further learning.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

The Quilts of Gee's Bend is a book I borrowed for the pictures, but it turned out to be fascinating... and applicable here. From my more thorough review:

The pictures of the quilts are indeed wonderful.

And there's no reason that many of us couldn't use scraps, remnants, worn out clothes, both from our own household and from thrift/ charity shops, to make similar quilts. The three patchwork quilts that I made for my sons were easy, thrifty, and are still beloved... nothing artful like these ladies' creations but something anyone could do.

[SamZ]

I just finished this one and it was really good! I'm excited to look up some of the other sources noted in the back to find out more about this orchestra. I really loved that this book talks about the reality of garbage dumps and how many people's waste can effect others without being super heavy-handed or hard on the target audience. There are also some really great themes about perseverance and finding beauty in unexpected places.

[SamZ]

I agree entirely with Kathryn, above, this was a great read!
"Her feet stop. She knows too much to ignore it now." I loved this story about a small group of women in Ghana who work to improve the lives and environment of their small village - even when others say there's nothing that can be done, even laughing at the women and calling them dirty for trying. This reminds me so much of the quote by Maya Angelou: "When you know better, do better."

In addition to above conversations, I agree that it is rough to expect people to convert to "green" items all at once. I recently moved to the Portland area and being green here is very prevalent. Restaurants give out paper straws (plastic ones are being phased out after a recent law passed) and stores charge .05 cents per bag to encourage people to bring/re-use their own. Some of these changes are nice, some are frustrating (I hate paper straws - solution, buy some reusable ones and keep them in my purse). I'm very much a fan of "start where you are." I have reuseable straws and bags, I work on recycling (and knowing what can be and what can't be is a daunting task), and I am looking into shampoo bars to reduce my single use plastic. I think that's the biggest take-away when we are teaching our children - start where you are, change one thing, then change another. It doesn't have to be all at once or all or nothing. Also, everyone is in a different place: don't judge if someone brings a plastic water bottle to school and throws it in the trash - you do your best and let them do theirs.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

SamZ wrote: "
I just finished this one and it was really good! I'm excited to look up some of the other sources noted in the bac..."

This orchestra did get a mention in What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet iirc.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Michael gave four stars to something I'll try to find: Box!: Castles, Kitchens, and Other Cardboard Creations for Kids.

[Beverly, former Miscellaneous Club host]

Cheryl wrote: "Well, I'm also a big fan of Repair... which means The Old Truck would qualify.

I finally got a copy of this book. It is a delight. I was happy to see that the talented mechanic who brought the truck back to life was a woman. I was also interested to read that the brothers (author and illustrator), live just up the highway from me in Austin, Texas.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Glad you like it!

[SamZ]

I agree with Kathryn's thoughts about this being perhaps a better choice for young kids. Not only does it end up talking about ways to re-purpose, but it also shows that you have to keep trying to solve a problem and not just give up when your first (or next) idea doesn't work.

[QNPoohBear]

I read about this exhibit in the latest American Girl "Girl of the Year" book Joss

Escape from the landfill

In the story, the kids collect the trash from the beach and the arts center is coming to pick it up and turn it into a giant sculpture. I can only assume the author was inspired by the above exhibit.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Beverly wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "Well, I'm also a big fan of Repair... which means The Old Truck would qualify.

I finally got a copy of this book. It is a delight. I was happy to see that the talen..."

I thought it was wonderful, too! I'm so glad Cheryl brought it to our attention and that my library purchased a copy. My children also enjoyed it. I think it can be appreciated on many levels.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Cheryl wrote: "Michael gave four stars to something I'll try to find: Box!: Castles, Kitchens, and Other Cardboard Creations for Kids."

That sounds fun! And reminds me of one of my favorite books as a child, Christina Katerina & the Box, which I'm now realizing absolutely should be part of this master list. It is so wonderful for reuse and repurpose -- again and again and again ;-)

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

SamZ wrote: "
it also shows that you have to keep trying to solve a problem and not just give up when your first (or next) idea doesn't work. .."

Yes, I really appreciated that aspect of the story.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Cheryl wrote: "I think that's the biggest take-away when we are teaching our children - start where you are, change one thing, then change another. It doesn't have to be all at once or all or nothing. Also, everyone is in a different place: don't judge if someone brings a plastic water bottle to school and throws it in the trash - you do your best and let them do theirs. "


So true, Sam, and thank you for sharing that quote from Angelou which is perfect here. And I think this is a case where leading by example is so important -- folks who don't yet know might see and learn and certainly that is the case with children.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Cheryl wrote: "In the meantime there is one book that I actually loved so much I bought a copy for myself. Most projects use scraps and bits of materials; there's very little that most people would have to buy. T..."

Ooh, this sounds fun! My youngest son is very artistically oriented and I am trying to find some good books to share with him because it is not my own wheelhouse (I actually love being crafty but I just don't have a lot of experience so that's something I am hoping we can learn together).

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

So much has changed in the world this month! :-( Our libraries are closed, and I won't be able to read many more books on this theme though I do have a few out we haven't read yet and will post back when we do. However, I also think this theme is more relevant than ever as so many of us are asked to shelter in place and reevaluate what is essential to our lives, and perhaps turn to a little more creativity and use of the Rs to fill our days at home, especially when we have little ones. My thoughts are with all of you and I hope you are staying well.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I was thinking the same thing. It's time to think more about what we have in the house, since we can't go out to buy so much.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

The most recent issue of MaryJane's Farm Magazine mentioned these and I thought I would share since they're relevant to our "5 Rs" -- and you can read these online ;-)

Buying Less Makes Us Happier:
https://uanews.arizona.edu/story/buyi...

Little Free Pantries / Blessing Boxes:
http://www.littlefreepantry.org/read-me

Thomas Dambo recycled art sculptures:
https://thomasdambo.com/
(I love the "Storytelling Tree": https://www.wescover.com/p/public-scu...

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Oh thank you! I look forward to exploring these.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Something from Nothing This is so sweet! I love the idea of the story, to continue to find uses something dear, to make it evolve throughout the years, to continue to sew love and family togetherness with each version. The illustrations are warm and full of detail (I love the corresponding mice family!). This is based on a traditional Jewish folktale and I am not sure how many liberties were taken in this retelling. The only false note here, for me, is that it didn't make sense that the boy's mother would continually tell him to throw away his blanket (or coat, or vest, etc. etc.) when each was outgrown or became tattered. I think any woman of the day would have had plenty of good "upcycling" ideas for old material. (Maybe this mother just wanted to encourage the boy to run to his grandpa to fix it.) That quibble aside, I thought it was a lovely book and definitely recommend it.
For a Latino spin on the story, see also Maya's Blanket/La Manta de Maya (which I also quite enjoyed).

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

I also finally read Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay and can only echo the praises already sung for this wonderful story. For those unable to obtain it from the library, the back matter points to several YouTube videos (search for The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura) featuring the recycled orchestra, including a segment on 60 Minutes.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

New to my library's overdrive/libby: by Corey Ann Haydu; illustrated by Luisa Uribe Hand-Me-Down Magic #1: Stoop Sale Treasure, first of a series, I'll be reading it asap!

... too bad it didn't live up to its promise. There's actually not a lot of repurposing here, or even all that good a story. But of course nobody should take my word for it if they're interested.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Cheryl wrote: "New to my library's overdrive/libby: by Corey Ann Haydu; illustrated by Luisa Uribe Hand-Me-Down Magic #1: Stoop Sale Treasure, first of a series, I'll be reading it asap!"

That looks great! I've just put in a hold request :-)

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Cheryl recommends Anywhere Artist.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Yes, I do, thanks for finding this thread. I especially recommend it to fans of The Dot who are looking for something a bit 'more'.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I finally got a chance to read One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia and am delighted with it. My review:

Ok, this is a must-read for educators and families.
Thankfully, it's appealing, too. Note, glossary, and further reading are included. Delightful pictures. Text and theme that can work at many grade levels, and in many content areas, not just science and social studies.
I particularly like the quote from the hero, Isatou Ceesay, "People thought I was too young and that women couldn't be leaders. I took those things as challenges; they gave me more power. I didn't call out the problems--I called out the solutions."

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I am crossposting Kenya's Art by Linda Trice in several threads as I believe it's a good example for all these topics. My review:

Rounding up from 3.5 to help the community average. The examples of art using found objects weren't to my taste, but it's always good to encourage creativity, and if it can be done on the cheap, all the better. Don't buy specific project kits at the big box 'craft' store, ferpeetsake!

Anyway, I found the story fun, the family interesting, the illustrations cute. Nothing spectacular there, but a good story, not just a non-fiction craft book. I particularly liked that both artsy 'thingamabobs" & useful crafts like picture-frames were explored.

"Recycle! Reuse! Make Art!"

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Another book that emphasizes the 'artistic' merit of projects kids can do is Art Making with MoMA: 20 Activities for Kids Inspired by Artists at The Museum of Modern Art.

If you don't like modern art, you might at least learn to appreciate what point the artist was making or why s/he produced the piece(s) represented here. I have trouble appreciating anything non-representational or avant-garde unless I see it in person, but this book helps.

More importantly, kids without preconceived notions of what kinds of art they like can have fun trying these projects. They're relatively easy to do, and the contents page has them sorted by what kind of thing the user might want to do.

Very cool book. Best for art rooms (do any public elementary schools have these anymore?) or families that already do some crafting, that at least own a pair of scissors and a glue stick. Not so much for regular classrooms. I enjoyed the concept and presentation, but as an adult w/out children at home I won't be trying any of the projects.

(I do have to say though that I liked learning that Kahlo gifted a friend with a self-portrait + a mirror, so they could be together in the friend's home even when apart. ;)

Cross-posting to three threads here.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Don't Throw That Away!: A Lift-the-Flap Book about Recycling and Reusing Yes! This is so adorable and perfect for the youngest readers to start thinking beyond recycling and consider ways to reduce and reuse. Yes, it's fairly simplistic but I think it does a good job of getting the ideas and conversation started. The lift-the-flap format is great here because you see the garbage (for example, old jam jar ... old jug... old cans) but "WAIT! Don't throw that away!" says our young environmentally-conscious supergirl, you can turn it into.... [lift the flap] (vase for flowers... birdhouse... musical instruments) Positive and upbeat while delivering an important message.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Oh that sounds absolutely perfect! Upcycling, upbeat... so necessary!

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Where Do Garbage Trucks Go?: And Other Questions About Trash and Recycling is for younger schoolchildren and is a bit too superficial, but a decent introduction.

Of more interest to ppl involved enough to be reading this thread is Recycling and Upcycling: Science, Technology, Engineering which is for older children and families who want to know more. I've wondered for years how on earth it can be cost effective to sort and process single-stream plastics, whether recycling was actually a good thing or a bureaucratic 'feel-good' mess. As I learned in this book, it really is important to put everything that your sanitation department accepts into the blue bin. Call them or visit your website if you're not sure of the exact policies. Aluminum, paper, and glass are still the most prized, but most plastics are very welcome now, too, due to advanced technology. Maybe a child you know will engineer even more effective solutions!

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree One of my favorite Christmas picture books, and also a classic "one man's trash is another man's treasure" -- in this case, the discarded top of a Christmas tree keeps getting used by other creatures for their own tree on down from Mr. Willowby's enormouse tree to the tiny mouse who uses the tiniest bit for his own tree.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I liked that one, too!