This week we are celebrating National Storytelling Week from the 30th January to the 6th February by highlighting some of the great story books focussed on rubbish, litter and recycling.
If you’re looking for some inspiration this National Storytelling Week, then look no further. As educators we know how important storytelling is for developing our imagination, as well as our listening and language skills.
What may be less obvious is the fact that they can help us better understand and even empathise with important environmental, cultural, and social issues.
This doesn’t just apply to children either, even as adults we are gripped by stories whether it’s a dramatic segment on the news or the latest Netflix series.
Today we want to highlight some of our favourite stories that talk about the important environmental issues around our rubbish. We hope to encourage you to start a conversation around waste with your students or children.
You could also talk about what kept you interested in the story, was it the relatable main character, the storyline or something else? How could you use these things when telling your own story?
Somebody Swallowed Stanley
by Sarah Roberts
Suggested age group: 5+
Summary: A story of a simple plastic bag and it’s journey across the ocean. This story unveils the true outcomes of plastic pollution and its dramatic impacts on wildlife from the perspective of the bag and in a child friendly way.
Video – Somebody Swallowed Stanley – a new book on plastic pollution – YouTube
This Book is Not Rubbish: 50 Ways to Ditch Plastic, Reduce Rubbish and Save the World!
by Isabel Thomas
Suggested age group: 9+
Summary: With the issue of waste piling up, this book us the real solutions that we are looking for. From not flushing the toilet as often to upcycling furniture, putting on washing machines and dishwashers at night or putting out bird feeders, this readable gem is full of ideas for kids, and adults, to take charge of their own impact on the environment.
