One plastic bag by Miranda Paul; illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon (2015)

[Published by Millbrook Press]

The recycling women of the Gambia are outstanding. Imagine a community used to bags made of natural fibres that breakdown quickly when discarded. What happens when plastic bags are introduced?

A steadily growing pile of rubbish lines the streets of Njau in Gambia. Isatou has been only vaguely aware of this, until the day her goat becomes sick. “Many goats have been eating these,” he says. “The bags twist around their insides, and the animals cannot survive.” Isatou realises something must be done, so she starts by picking up one plastic bag from the pile, then two, until she has a hundred.

She and her friends wash the bags and hang them on the line. Inspired by her sister’s crocheting, Isatou has an idea. Cutting the plastic bags into strips, Isatou and her friends begin to crochet them into purses which they sell in the city. And gradually the pile of discarded plastic grows smaller and smaller.

Miranda Paul explains her experiences in Africa at the end of this amazing story, “Today, Njau is much cleaner, the goats are healthier, and the garden grow better. Residents from nearby towns travel there to learn the craft of recycling.”

An inspiring beautifully told and illustrated story.

Check out One plastic bag at Auckland Libraries.

Or buy One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia (Millbrook Picture Books) from Fishpond.

Muddle and Mo by Nikki Slade Robinson (2015)

[Published by Duck Creek Press]

I love the conversations I have with my four-year-old nephew Jacob. He’s highly entertaining and asks me ridiculous questions which I take great pleasure in answering in kind. His latest gag, which he finds hilarious, is to call me Uncle Lucy and my husband Auntie John. Reading Muddle and Mo felt a little like having a conversation with Jacob.

Muddle, a small duck, voices some concerns to her best friend Mo (the goat), regarding Mo’s decidedly un-duck-like appearance. Mo, Muddle explains, is the wrong colour for a duck, eats the wrong things and in my favourite line, claims “Your wings are on your head.” Mo is very patient and when the truth comes out is there to lend a goaty shoulder to lean on.

Told with minimal text, featuring delightfully animated characters, your audience of preschoolers will have a ball.

Check out Muddle and Mo at Auckland Libraries.

Or buy Muddle and Mo from Fishpond.

This old ram by Errol McLeary (2013)

I love a good sing-along storytime and today I have found you the best singable book.

Written and illustrated by a kiwi, the illustrations are delightful, featuring kereru, and other native New Zealand birds.

“This old ram, he played one,

he set out to have some fun.

With a baa baa, ha de ha, leave the dog alone,

this old ram came strolling home.”

A great choice for a counting or singing storytime for preschoolers, they’ll be joining in in no time!

Check out This old ram at Auckland Libraries.

Or buy This old ram from Fishpond.

And the cars go… by William Bee (2013)

I would like to take a moment before we start today’s review, by sharing a round of group “brmmmm….ing”. Say it with me everybody, “brmmm”. I think we need to add a little extra throatiness, “brmmmmm”.

Nice work team.

I love to read aloud books with great sound effects and today we have a beauty. In order to satisfactorily read And the cars go… out loud you will need to polish up on the following noises:

• “Vroooom”
• “Brmmmmm”
• “Whisper”
• “Chug chug chuggety chug”
• “Pop pop pop” along with a few others.

A policemen on patrol discovers a line of vehicles emitting a mixture of noises as they wait in an unexpected queue. The policemen heads off to investigate. He walks past the Rolls Royce, the family heading off on holiday, the school bus and the racing car. A bunch of escaped sheep are to blame for the mayhem, and after a lot of pushing and shoving the road is cleared and the vehicles are free to head off on their merry way.

Books featuring cars, and noises are a huge winner at storytime, throw in great illustrations, a fun story and a fabulous cast of characters and vehicles and this book is bound to be an absolute hit.

Buy And the cars go… from Fishpond.