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?
The Garbage King
by Elizabeth Laird
Suggested age group: 11+
Summary: When Mamo, a homeless orphan, meets wealthy runaway Dani on the streets of Addis Ababa, the boys’ mutual desperation leads to an unlikely friendship. This coming-of-age adventure concentrates on the private hopes, dreams and feelings that drive its characters along, but also keeps enough sense of the gritty realities of street life to give a thought-provoking humanitarian message.
