Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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.

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! [...]

This attractive children's book is full of creative ideas for reusing old materials: make a stamp out of a flip-flop shoe, a planter pot out of an old red shoe, a small pillow out of an old t-shirt, use an old beloved blanket to make a handkerchief, and patch holes in a pair of worn pants. Colorful pictures created with acrylic paint illustrate simple instructions for these easy projects, although some recommend the assistance of an adult. The author encourages her readers to "share in the responsibility of taking care of our world" and suggests other ways that children and their families can reuse and recycle around their homes. A couple of "hand-sewing tips" are provided: how to sew a "whipstitch" and a "running stitch".