The Dumpster Diver
By Janet S. Wong; illustrated by David Roberts
Candlewick; $16.99
32 pp.; ISBN-13: 978-0763623807

Review by Amy Brozio-Andrews

They say one man's trash is another man's treasure and it's never been more true than in Janet S. Wong's The Dumpster Diver, a humorous picture book that encourages children's resourcefulness and creativity with a tale of rescued treasure and perseverance.

Steve's a regular Dumpster diver. He regularly dons a makeshift wetsuit and signals his team -- three kids who live in the same apartment building charged with assisting in the project, hose handlers 1 and 2 and the fauceteer. Steve heads into the Dumpster and pulls out what might still be useful while the kids hose off all of the retrieved items (and Steve, of course). For example, a salvaged pair of skis, wheels, and an umbrella becomes a paraskater. The kids delight in thinking up all kinds of creative uses for the stuff Steve finds -- a keyboard and monitor could become a flowerpot, fish tank or modern art piece, but the civic-minded group decides its best home would be with Zenda on the fifth floor, who's been practicing her typing on a hand-lettered cardboard keyboard.

Unfortunately, The Grouch, an elderly lady who's Steve's neighbor doesn't see the purpose in the group's efforts, swearing that they'll hurt themselves one of these days. And then the inevitable happens. Turns out Steve's team has learned many lessons through Dumpster diving, and come up with their own resourceful plan to help their injured friend.

Wong's tale of clever children is exciting and fast-paced, with plenty of bugs, visual humor with Steve's diving get-up, and all the crazy things one could do with discarded items. Her book reinforces the idea of reusing and recycling things in creative ways, keeping positive in the face of adversity, and safety (the children figure out another way to gather materials for their project instead of heading into the Dumpster). According to the book jacket, Wong says The Dumpster Diver was inspired by artist Kerry Wade, a self-described Dumpster diver who crafted chairs from old skis. The writing is energetic and engaging, holding children's interest from the very beginning.

David Roberts, the author and illustrator of the Bertie books, has contributed colorful, vivid images that match Wong's descriptions perfectly. The layout of the book is firmly in keeping with theme -- text is typewriter font on torn pieces of paper, duct tape, computer paper, etc. Rosy-cheeked characters look infinitely happy, while The Grouch's apartment is spare and gray compared to the bright, lively, and eclectically cluttered apartment of Steve. The illustrations have a vintage look to them, a worn but well-loved quality. He should get extra credit for his insect-drawing skills, though -- when Steven hits the first Dumpster and sends up a spray of beetles and roaches and spiders toward the page, the kids giggled as I shrank back. The lovely endpapers too, are a carpet of bugs, sure to please little ones who enjoy creepy crawly things.

The Dumpster Diver actively supports the themes of reuse and creativity, making the book a good jumping off point for talking with your kids about reusing household items in new ways, recycling, and the value or meaning of "junk" to different people.