Ella and the Useless Day (Meg McKinlay, illus by Karen Blair, Walker)
Turning trash into treasure and cleaning into fun! The joys of sorting through useless household hoarding combined with the value of re-using, recycling and upcycling make this picture book a treasure—on an individual, local and global scale. Award-winning author Meg McKinlay highlights the importance of sustainability and the awareness of our ‘throw-away’ culture through her timely book for young readers, Ella and the Useless Day. McKinlay delights through playful dialogue between Ella and her dad, mixed with engaging alliteration, textual design and repetition, while Karen Blair’s watercolour and pencil illustrations mesmerise with their personable pastel hues and exuberant whimsy in her depictions of the characters and lively streetscapes. The narrative pulls the reader into a journey of winding streets, greeting fascinated neighbours, and to the rubbish dump on Ella’s clean-up-of-useless-stuff day. After happily sharing their broken, holey, rusted and fashion-disaster items with the community, Ella and her dad discover their trailer is almost empty—with one special piece of ‘trash’ they turn into a treasure of their own. Family dynamics, diversity, activity and a sense of unity all come together in this heartwarming, energetic and topical story of sharing and environmental preservation, encouraging discussion and empowerment among children from age three and beyond.
Romi Sharp is a picture book writer and digital marketer for children’s authors and publishers.
