A new children’s book by an Anglia Ruskin University lecturer has been selected for a prestigious reading list, meaning it will be appearing on bookshelves in schools across the United States.
Zero Waste, by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) Illustration lecturer Allan Drummond, was inspired by a letter he received that talked about Kamikatsu, a small town in Japan that is attempting to recycle all of its waste.
Zero Waste is published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan, and has been selected for the 2024 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books List in the United States.
It is the fifth in the Green Power series of books written and illustrated by Allan, all about real life communities across the world where people are engaged in the transition to clean energy.
Allan’s books are sold in nine countries and excerpts from his books are licensed for use in educational textbooks. They are also frequently referenced by organisations working to raise understanding of environmental issues.
A previous book in the series, Green City, was awarded best STEM Book 2017 by the National Science Teachers Association and content from that book went on to be included in more than a million school textbooks in various languages.
Drummond, who lectures at ARU’s Cambridge School of Art and lives in East Bergholt, Suffolk, said: “Children all over the world are growing up eager to know how they can do their bit to help the planet and it is encouraging to see the passion that young people have for this subject.
“By making this prestigious list I hope my books can inspire many thousands of children by bringing these positive stories from all over the world to their desks.”
Zero Waste has already received a number of positive reviews, with Booklist saying: “The fictional story offers children a way to connect with the ideas and facts . . . while Drummond’s illustrations set a jaunty tone.”
Meanwhile, Publishers Weekly said: “Drummond expands his Green Power series with this inspiring account of the citizens of Kamikatsu, Japan, and their zero-waste goal . . . Loosely marked art has calligraphy-like movement and flair.”
