What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe?: A Green Activity Book About Reuse [Hardcover]

Anna Alter (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

What can Ruby do with her old red shoe? Use it as a planter for pansies! In this “green” craft book, children can appreciate that recycling is a part of everyday life, and with a little creativity, exciting projects are only a few steps away. Turn a worn flip-flop into an art stamp, a ripped shower curtain into an apron, and an old T-shirt into a pillow. These activities are just a few of the many crafts to be explored.

 

With easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, this interactive book will challenge kids to come up with clever recycling ideas of their own.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Recycling becomes lots of fun in this sprightly activity book. Alter offers 13 projects, and unlike some craft books, green or not, the finished projects are usually items kids will want to use. Each chapter begins with the question “What can you do with . . . ?” From one flip-flop to a ripped shower curtain, from used wrapping paper to empty berry baskets, useless things become transformed: the flip-flop into a stamp for making art, the shower curtain into an apron, the wrapping paper into greeting cards, and the baskets into possession-holders. Not every project is a winner—kids probably won’t want to take the time and effort to make a patch for torn clothes from a blanket—but melting down old crayons to make drawing cubes is clever indeed. The instructions are clear and simple (adult help is noted when required), and what really makes this a standout is Alter’s adorable artwork featuring a coterie of animals at work and play. Short poems introduce each project. Grades 1-3. --Ilene Cooper

Review

Praise for WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH AN OLD RED SHOE?:

 

“From its namesake red-shoe planter to a ripped-shower-curtain apron, Alter seeks to instill a desire to help the environment.”—USA Today

 

“This is a great choice for environmental units and a valuable resource for parents interested in teaching their children about reuse at home.”—School Library Journal

 

“Recycling becomes lots of fun in this sprightly activity book… what really makes this a standout is Alter’s adorable artwork featuring a coterie of animals at work and play.”—Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (March 31, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805082905
• ISBN-13: 978-0805082906
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,180,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anna grew up surrounded by beautiful books and has wanted to create them ever since. She likes to tell stories that celebrate the small moments in life. Events and experiences that could go unnoticed, but when looked at very closely, tell us about who we are and the world around us. Anna also likes to make books that inspire kids to be creative and tell their own stories!

Anna always knew she wanted to write and illustrate books, so she attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where she studied illustration. After graduating in 1997, she moved to Boston to work for Houghton Mifflin Company, in the children's book design department. She began submitting her stories and illustrations to publishers shortly thereafter, and has been working in children's publishing ever since. Anna also enjoys sewing curtains, growing paperwhites, and practicing standing on her head in yoga class.

In addition to writing and illustrating children's books, Anna has taught art and book making to audiences of all ages: she has worked as a preschool teacher, held art classes for grade schoolers, and taught a course on children's book illustration at the Montserrat College of Art.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Craft Book, October 17, 2009

By 

Dosa "Photo Printer" (Bremerton, WA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe?: A Green Activity Book About Reuse (Hardcover)

I bought this book for my 4 year old granddaughter. It has many crafts projects in it, not just the Old Red Shoe planter. She will be able to do some of them now and some will have to wait until she is a little older, but all are fun and creative and use materials that are at hand. There is also a recycling component, which I love, and the illustrations are great.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Hands On Green Project Book for Kids!, August 23, 2009

By 

The Book Nosher (Bainbridge Island, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe?: A Green Activity Book About Reuse (Hardcover)

I admit it, the catchy title definitely drew me in. I was perusing the New Book Shelves at the library when my eyes rested on What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe?: A Green Activity Book About Reuse. I couldn't resist. Anna Alter has written and illustrated a delightful book with twelve recycling projects that kids will love.

Each project stars a different animal character and begins with a short poem about a problem such as "What can you do with a ripped shower curtain." or "What can you do with empty tin cans?" Alter shows you ways to turn the old items into something new. She gives you a supply list and offers easy step-by-step instructions. She also tells you if and when parental assistance is needed. Soon the shower curtain becomes an apron, and the tin can becomes a lantern.

Most of the projects seem quite doable, and ones that kids will be interested in. She shows how to make stamps out of old flip-flops (a perfect end-of-summer project), art supply baskets out of old berry baskets and (my favorite) a flower planter out of an old red shoe.

At the end of the book, Alter offers some practical recycling and reuse tips for kids and adults. I can see a family or a class using this book as a jump-start to some great conversations about recycling. I think what makes What Can You Do With An Old Red Shoe so much fun is how hands-on it is. Kids will be interested in the projects, and along the way will come up with their own ideas of how to reuse things.

5.0 out of 5 stars think green, June 25, 2009

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe?: A Green Activity Book About Reuse (Hardcover)

What can you do with old items like t-shirts, flip-flops, and shower curtains? You could just throw them out but that wouldn't be thinking green! Use this cute book for find craft ideas to reuse these items. Each project features step-by-step directions and colored illustrations. Also included is a section of the book that explains what else kids and their families can do to support reuse and recycling. This would make a great earth day story time book. After hearing the book the kids could try out a project or two! [...]