Gifts from the Garbage Truck: A True Story About the Things We (Don’t) Throw Away by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Oriol Vidal, Foreword by Nelson Molina

Gifts from the Garbage Truck: A True Story About the Things We (Don’t) Throw Away by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Oriol Vidal, Foreword by Nelson Molina. Sourcebooks eXplore, 2024. 9781728283517

Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 3

Format: Paperback ARC (published 9/2024)

What did you like about the book? As a young boy growing up in East Harlem in New York City, Nelson Molina collected things – like wood to build birdhouses, stamps from the letters his father would send from places he traveled as a merchant marine, broken toys that he could repair and give to his younger siblings.  When he grew up he naturally became a sanitation engineer, a garbage man.  He would save many of the usable items he found in the trash.  He began displaying these found items in the sanitation garage. His collection grew so large that his collection grew into a museum.  Molina and his family are of Puerto Rican descent.

Information on recycling is included in the back of the book along with pictures from inside his garbage museum. The story is in full color illustrated in digital art.

Anything you did not like about the book? I find myself confused as to why these usable items were not given away or sold so they could be recycled and used again.

To whom would you recommend this book? This story could be useful in showing children how they can repair items rather than immediately throwing them away when they become damaged.

Who should buy this book? Public libraries

Where would you shelve it?  E 629.224

Should we (librarians) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? No.

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City: Katrina Yurenka, Retired Librarian, Contributor, Youth Services Book Review

Date of Review:  June 12, 2024