Scrap Metal Swan: A River Clean-Up Story

SCRAP METAL SWAN is a delightfully rhyming picture book about river pollution and art. The river is full of trash, so the community comes together to clean it up. They then use the trash to create sculptures that will stand by the river. The backmatter includes information on pollution and the real swan statue in Wisconsin, kinds of artists, and some idea for crafts.

What I loved: This is a really charming story told in rhyme that rolls smoothly off the tongue and brings it to life in a way that will appeal to toddlers and preschoolers. The themes of the story are presented really well around the problems with pollution and the need for people to take action and help to clean it up, as well as the cool elements of recycled art. The backmatter really adds to these lessons with ways for caregivers or teachers to turn this into a bigger lesson around pollution, art, and some crafts children can participate in.

The artwork is really cool with a varied texture and scrap art design that suits the themes perfectly. The main characters in the little girl and her caregiver who are working on the art, and they are really fantastically brought to life throughout the story amidst the detailed images. The bold font helps with readability throughout and short phrasing with quickly turning pages is great for young readers.

Final verdict: SCRAP METAL SWAN is a clever picture book with some great themes around pollution and art.