This is a better intermediate level picture book than a primary one. I unfortunately read this one to a few primary classes for whom it was going over their heads. So, while I was reading along a quietly enjoying it, I could see that they were really not getting the underlying tone of the book. They understood the basics and that was fine, but there was plenty of under-the-table humor that an older audience might have understood better. Great book all the same. (

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matthewbloome | May 19, 2013 |

I wasn't sure what to think at first but then it became pretty funny and brought grins & chuckles, while still sticking to its apparent intention and point. Still closer to 3-1/2 but easier to round up.

And once again, like many of the short childrens picture books with instuctional or persuasive intent, it was harder for me to rate. A couple in the past I've been in awe of but that's much less common with these. I don't get to see the reaction of the intended audience and that's really what it's all about. I do, however enjoy and value the experience of reading and knowing them. (

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Yona | May 2, 2013 |

I am so looking forward to reading this to my fourth, fifth, and sixth graders... a humorous tale (not so humorously based on a true event) with a message. A perfect fit for schools trying to help students expand their "environmental literacy." And I think this will be the first read-aloud where I get to let out my inner mob boss. (

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KimJD | Apr 8, 2013 |

This book is illustrated amazingly. It was done by hand-built three dimensional sets that were photographed. There is incredible detail on each page. Although the story is a little exaggerated from the actual story of the garbage that needed a home, it helps children understand an important piece of this country's history. It fosters environmental awareness. This would be a great kick-off for a recycling awareness month, etc.

Wakana | Mar 14, 2013 |

This book is about trying to disposal garbage that nobody wants. It reinforces the responsibility for the amount of trash that we generate and how can we recycle to reduce it. Great book to use in the classroom.
Reading Journal: counts as 1 Picture Book (

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carolcavedon | Mar 11, 2013 |

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New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book (2010)

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Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0375852182, Hardcover)

This New York Times Best Illustrated Book is a mostly true and completely stinky story that is sure to make you say, “Pee-yew!” Teaching environmental awareness has become a national priority, and this hilarious book (subtly) drives home the message that we can’t produce unlimited trash without consequences.

Before everyone recycled . . .

There was a town that had 3,168 tons of garbage and nowhere to put it.

What did they do?

Enter the Garbage Barge!

Amazing art built out of junk, toys, and found objects by Red Nose Studio makes this the perfect book for Earth Day or any day, and photos on the back side of the jacket show how the art was created.

Here Comes the Garbage Barge was a New York Times Best Illustrated book of 2010, a Huffington Post Best Picture Book of the Year, and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. The Washington Post said, “Cautionary? Yes. Hilarious? You betcha!” and the New York Times Book Review raved, “[A] glorious visual treat.”

(retrieved from Amazon Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:01:08 -0500)

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▾Library descriptions

In the spring of 1987, the town of Islip, New York, with no place for its 3,168 tons of garbage, loads it on a barge that sets out on a 162-day journey along the East Coast, around the Gulf of Mexico, down to Belize, and back again, in search of a place willing to accept and dispose of its very smelly cargo.… (more)