Nonfiction Monday: Compost Stew

We would like to thank the Orland Park Public Library for providing this book for review.

Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth
by Mary McKenna Siddals
Illus, by Ashley Wolff
32 pages, ages 4-8
Tricycle Press, 2011

How do you turn kitchen scraps and yard waste into rich compost for your garden? Making your own compost is as easy as one, two, three—or, rather, A, B, C. This jubilant recipe-in-rhyme contains an alphabetical list of ingredients: “Apples cores, Bananas, bruised, Coffee grounds with filters used…” As children of different cultural backgrounds pitch in to make the robust compost stew, the playful gauche and collage illustrations—made from bits of yarn, ribbons, textured paper, tea bags, and string—further support the idea of recycling odds and ends. Illustrations also denote seasonal activities: in spring a curly red-headed girl clad in sandals and a short-sleeved dress tends to young shoots in the garden. A summertime scene shows an African American boy cutting grass. In autumn, a child is pictured in a pumpkin field, and in one winter scene, readers see an Asian girl recycling her Christmas tree. On the final page titled, “Chef’s Note,” the author shares do’s, don’ts, plus additional tips for first-time composters. Are you ready to concoct your own earth-friendly compost pile? It’s easy! If you have a heap of “…grass clipping, hair snippings, (and) an insect or two,” you’ll know just what to do: “Add it to the pot and let it all rot into Compost Stew!” For related activities, teaching resources, and lesson plans, go to www.siddals.com/compost-stew.html
—Review by Heidi Bee Roemer

During the cold Canada winters, Mary McKenna Siddals loves to cuddle up with a blanket and read books. Picture books are her favorite (to both read and write!) As the author of Compost Stew, she says ‘Composting is nature’s way of recycling, so what starts out as trash is turned into treasure – a dark and crumbly, rich and sweet, delicious treat for the Earth.’ She has written dozens of articles, stories and poems in a variety of magazines over the years.  —Interview by Laura Crawford

Interested in other books on the subject of composting? Be sure to read these reviews, too!

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by Practically Paradise blog.