by Andrew Larsen
illustrated by Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2015
ISBN 978-1-55455-334-1
$18.95 (hc), 32 pp, ages 5 – 8
fitzhenry.ca
Charlie lives in the city and observes the world from his apartment’s balcony. One day he notices lots of people of all ages heading in the same direction with wagons and wheelbarrows and buckets and bowls. Charlie and his dad join the parade to find out where everyone is going. They end up at a park where there is a big pile of dirt—it is the mayor’s annual Dirt Day Giveaway and the dirt is free for everyone. Charlie is surprised that all the fuss is about dirt, but a man in a green uniform explains that this is not just any old dirt; it is fresh compost that gardens will love. Charlie wishes he had a garden and is happy when the man in the green uniform gives him a little clay pot full of soil with a seed planted in it that he can grow on his balcony. This is the beginning of Charlie’s ambition to grow food.
Curriculum Connections: Charlie’s Dirt Day is the second in the Tell Me More! Storybook series that presents information in a storybook format complete with beautiful illustrations. This title would be a great introduction to food gardening, composting and soil make-up. A two-page spread at the end of the story offers factual information about these topics.
Review by Diana Mumford.
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Apr/May 2015 issue.