A Plastic Bottle's Journey

This colorful book traces a single plastic bottle from manufacture, through its use as a water bottle, to its journey through the recycling process and its formation into a bottle again. Despite its somewhat cartoonlike look and the talking bottles (sometimes the bottles have word bubbles), the book contains age-appropriate information about the manufacture, distribution, and recycling of plastic bottles. The fact that one bottle is followed through the story makes the narrative approachable for its young audience (prekindergarten through second grade) despite the unfamiliarity of the subject matter. Additional information is provided in fact boxes scattered throughout the book. The story follows a complete cycle, beginning with the new plastic pellets being made into bottles and ending with recycled pellets being turned into bottles again. The plastic simply appears at the beginning, though, and the book would be enhanced by information about how the original plastic pellets are made. This book is written in a fun and friendly way, appropriate for its intended audience. The bright, attractive pictures add to the book’s appeal. Quite a bit of factual information is conveyed in a concise way, accessible to young children.