Sam is tired of his toys. Why would he want his Grandma's old trainset and teddy when there's a toy factory high up in the clouds that makes rumbly red toys, grumbly green toys and so much more? In this important story about reducing waste and taking responsibility for the environment, Sam is about to find out.
Toy Mountain is a quirky story about 5-year-old Sam's chance to become a toy tester for the Tiny Hands Toy factory. After Sam signs up for his exciting new task, he quickly accumulates a pile of plastic, clunky toys, discarding the well-loved toys handed down to him from his Grandma. But one by one and plonk! by plonk!, his shiny new toys start to break. Soon enough, Sam has a mountain of broken toys that just won't stop growing!
This colourful and whimsically illustrated story highlights the waste that results from 'consumer culture', and the value of looking after our belongings. Inspired by the author's childhood of hand-me-down toys, it empowers children to take sustainability into their own hands through their toy purchases. This is a vitally important message in a world where we generate 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic each year, 79% of which goes into landfill.
Children and adults alike will find themselves cheering Sam along as he rescues his treasured old toys from being lost under a growing mound of broken plastic, and realises why they're so special after all.
Stef Gemmill is a children's author and former technical writer, teacher, and music journalist. Her writing career kicked off with reviewing rock gigs. After becoming a mum, she swapped the mosh pit for toys and tantrums and is the author of children's books telling stories of friendship, hope and adventure. She lives on the Surf Coast of Victoria, Australia, with her surf mad family and skateboarding cat, Luna. Stef won the children's category of the International Rubery Book Awards with her picture book A Home For Luna in 2020. Toy Mountain is her third book.
Katharine Hall is an illustrator based in Wellington, New Zealand. From her studio in Aotearoa, she tells stories that translate across language - specialising in ink work and digital design. In addition to picture book illustration, she has also worked on various projects for individuals, start-ups and businesses both big and small. Her lively, happy-go-lucky, and detailed style is inspired by a few simple loves; intricate details, fluffy cats, funny stories, bright colours, and nature. The quirky stuff in between is always an option too!
Title: Toy Mountain
Author: Gemmill, Stef
ISBN: 9781925820966
Binding:
Publisher: Exisle Publishing
Publication Date: 2021-11-30
Number of Pages: 32
Weight: 0.4101 kg
This is a really special message picture book from EK Books. Written by Stef Gemmill and Katharine Hall, this book celebrates the little things in life. The special connection between generations and the appreciation of the things - in this case toys. It's really a celebration of those special moments and those special things that bring us closer together as people. A really beautifully told story with the moral of realisation of what is important and connection. EK Books are doing wonderful things with their publishing, creating 'Books with Heart on Issues that Matter', and I have loved every one of their books that take some very big issues and present them in a beautifully crafted, child-focused, and sensitive way. * NZ Booklovers *
This is a fun allegorical tale about consumerism, marketing, single use toys and the pitfalls of materialism. * Love for Learning *
This story is about seeing the value in what you already have and introduces the idea that we can think critically about overconsumption. A good story for encouraging conversations around sustainability or supporting that theme within your curriculum. * The Space magazine *
A worthy book that will encourage readers to think about the things they buy, and look for joy and meaning in living with less. * KidsBooksNZ *
A sweet story, with fun detailed illustrations that shows that getting all the latest and greatest isn't always the greatest!. It is a good way to teach young children about consumerism. * School Days Magazine *