Compost, By Gosh! [Library Binding]

Michelle Eva Portman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2002

Author Michelle Eva Portman presents a wonderful adventure where a young girl and her mom convert a storage box into a house for their new pets. The box becomes a vermicomposting bin and the pets are redworms. Portman's poetic, rhyming couplets provide a grand explanation of the process of vermicomposting in a manner that the youngest reader/listener will enjoy. The story is accompanied by adorable illustrations. The book includes How To and Resources sections to encourage further exploration of vermicomposting.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...children reserved full attention to this witty and wonderfully illustrated book... get children excited about the powers of nature.~ -- Gunter Pauli, Founder and Director of ZERI (Zero Emissions Research Initiative)

Charming, light-hearted composting guide for today's ecology-minded child...captures childhood magic and the alchemy of natural processes... -- THE BOOK READER Fall/Winter 2002

Wow! Worms are really cool.~ -- Mary, age 8

About the Author

Michelle Eva Portman’s profession as environmentalist and writer has evolved from years education and miles of experience; as nurturer she cares for her family and the environment. She has more than 15 years experience working as an environmental planner in both the public and non-profit sectors in the United States and abroad.

Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Economy of Natural Resources from University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. While in Israel she enhanced her studies by serving as a conservation planner where she had the opportunity present publically on environmental protection.

Michelle has studied writing at Harvard University. In addition to developing policies and regulations, she has had articles and essays published in a variety of professional and literary journals, including her most recent contributions in Appalachia and The Sun.

Currently she works part-time for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and is studying environmental policy in the Ph.D. program at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Michelle enjoys the outdoors and playing with her children; when time permits she draws and writes. She resides in Newton, Massachusetts with her husband, two children and worms.

This is Michelle’s first book. When asked what was her motivation for writing Compost, By Gosh! she shared the following: My first inspiration to write this book was concern for the environment and my awareness of the havoc that is being created by the ever-increasing amount of landfill waste. From my own worm composting experiences, I realized that I could substantially reduce the volume I contributed to landfills by vermicomposting organic wastes at home. The second reason for writing and illustrating this book is to empower children. I figured that in addition to reading Cat and the Hat over and over again, which of course is wonderful, why not educate with poems and pictures about vermicomposting. Hopefully children will remember the pictures and the rhymes and will become good stewards of the environment through learning about waste reducing practices, organic gardening and plant care. Compost, By Gosh! is about caring – caring for the environment, caring for the worms, caring for the plants.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 42 pages
• Publisher: Flower Press (December 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0942256166
• ISBN-13: 978-0942256161
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #547,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Valuable Tool, February 11, 2003

By 

Michael Levenston (Vancouver, BC, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Compost, By Gosh! (Library Binding)

Michelle Eva Portman has created a story filled with learning and mystery. With colorful pictures and short, rhyming text she describes the entire composting cycle from food waste to healthy plants. A valuable tool for parents and teachers, as young readers could easily see this story come to life in their home or classroom. We will be using this delightful book to start off our children's wormshops at our demonstration garden.

By Laura Plant
Compost Educator
City Farmer, Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture
Vancouver, BC

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh no? Oh Yes!, March 22, 2003

By 

naomi dagen bloom (new york, new york United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Compost, By Gosh! (Library Binding)

When I first heard that the Worm Queen in Kalamazoo (Mary Appelhof) had published a kids' book on vermicomposting, my reaction was cautious. Last year someone sent me one that was just too cute--and inaccurately showed red wigglers with eyes!
Hurrah for Compost, By Gosh!--it's just right! It combines charm with accuracy and clear, brief instructions for a parent who wants to say, "Yes!" to the child who begs, "Mom, can we have worms composting in our house?"
Can't wait to read it at Earth Day 2003 celebration to children who live in my six-building apartment complex in New York City. -Naomi Dagen Bloom, Composting in Manhattan

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to follow, step-by-step instructions for young people, March 11, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Compost, By Gosh! (Library Binding)

Written and illustrated by Michelle Eva Portman, Compost By Gosh! is a simple, rhyming children's book about the joy of making compost - the process of letting worms eat leftover food and turn into that material into something which is perfect for fertilizing plants. Easy to follow, step-by-step instructions for young people who want to make their own compost (under adult supervision) round out this excellent and very highly recommended instructional book for budding young gardeners.