Earth Day Post~ Review of Compost Stew, and more!

Today I'm on the tour stop for the fabulous childrens book, Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals and illustrated by Ashley Wolff.  I'm suppose to show you some of the fabulous spreads (illustrations) but blogger isn't letting me :(  Let me tell you though~ this book is full of fabulous illustrations!  And Amazon lets you inside to see some of the illustrations, just go HERE.

Apple cores
Bananas, bruised
Coffee grounds with filters, used
Just add to the pot
and let it all rot
into Compost Stew!
From eggshells to wiggly worms, this delightful recipe in bouncy verse features items — some familiar and some not so — that are fit for the home compost bin and will nourish Mother Earth.
Vibrant collage illustrations use recycled and found materials to further a timely message. And to keep young environmental chefs fully informed about composting do’s and don’ts, there’s a note in the back about what’s not fit for the bin.

Composting is something we did when I was growing up.  We lived in the country a lot of the time and we just had a pile we dumped it in and every once in awhile someone would go out and mix it up.  Now as an adult I've forgotten what is compost-able, other then coffee grounds, eggshells and banana peels.  So although we've been composting it wasn't even half of everything we could have been adding.
We have horrible soil here.  This was a rock pit before they dumped in some dirt and built houses, so we have very rocky soil and very little dirt.  On top of that our house was a repo and the previous owners had used the backyard as a garbage dump so every time I dig I find garbage.  I'm determined to get some better soil and hopefully have some beautiful gardens.  One thing I can do to help that soil is make my own compost.  And it's keeping all that I compost out of the landfill, always a good thing! 
Compost Stew tells us what can be put in the compost, and it's done in a fun and rhyming way.  My kids LOVE this book!  It's interactive in the way that they can get involved in composting; the illustrations are cute, vibrant and really catch the eye; and the story is fun!  And guess what?!  Adults can learn from it too!
Some things I learned that could be put in the compost are hair snippings, laundry lint, paper shreds, quarry dust, and seaweed strands (a few).  That's just a few of the items listed that I wouldn't have thought to put in.

Mary McKenna Siddals has a great website where she has activities for kids listed under the books.  So be sure to check out her website.  She's also giving away five copies of Compost Stew and two prints so go HERE to enter before April 25th. 

Purchase: Compost Stew on Amazon , Compost Stew on Indiebound