• Age: 6 to 9
• Grade: 1 to 4

STEAM problem-solvers and twin mice Sydney and Simon learn about the dangers of pollution—and the power of recycling—in this illustrated chapter book for young readers

Last we saw them, Sydney & Simon used science, technology, engineering, arts, and math skills to save wilting flowers in their window box. Now the twin mice are back to apply STEAM thinking to recycling!

During a class field trip to the Aquarium, Sydney is upset when she realizes that a green sea turtle has been harmed by garbage that made its way to the ocean. She must convince Simon that even if others don’t intend to litter, the garbage everyone puts in a trashcan may accidentally get swept into sewers, streams, rivers, and possibly end up in the ocean.

The twins collects data on the trash habits of their household and school and find they are all part of the problem! They need to figure out a way that their family, their neighborhood, and their school can cut down on garbage production and make better use of their discarded items.

Short chapters paired with Peter H. Reynolds’s lively illustrations will inspire readers to take a closer look at their recycling habits and implement small changes to make a big difference.

Paul A. Reynolds' profile page

PETER H. REYNOLDS est auteur-illustrateur de livres à succès classés au palmarès du New York Times. Il est le créateur des livres Je t’aime de tout mon cœur, Le collectionneur de mots, Joyeux rêveur, Le point de départ, Autour de la table, Ta voix compte et Toi! et il signe les illustrations des albums Je suis courageux, Je suis humain, Je suis puissant, Le Train de la paix, Le yoga c’est pour moi, L’amour : Un livre sur la compassion et La princesse de l’eau claire. Ses livres ont été traduits dans plus de 25 langues et sont appréciés dans le monde entier. Il vit avec sa famille à Dedham, au Massachusetts.

PETER H. REYNOLDS is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many books for children, including Happy Dreamer, The Word Collector, Say Something!, Be You!, Our Table, and All We Need Is Love and a Really Soft Pillow! He is also the illustrator of When Thing Aren't Going Right, Go Left and The Reflection in Me by Marc Colagiovanni. His books have been translated into over 25 languages around the globe and are celebrated worldwide. In 1996, he founded FableVision with his brother, Paul, as a social change agency to help create "stories that matter, stories that move." He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts, with his family.

Peter H. Reynolds' profile page

In their second STEAM-powered exploration (Full STEAM Ahead!, 2014), mouse twins Sydney and Simon investigate the problem of garbage.

Sydney's foray into trash tracking starts with a field trip to the aquarium, where a green sea turtle is recuperating after eating plastic. It doesn't take much of a leap for Sydney to make a connection: "The more trash we make, the more there's a chance that some of that trash could end up in the ocean." The two keep a tally of their family's trash for a week, and the results are eye-opening. Their school is an even larger garbage generator. Ms. Fractalini helps the twins use science, technology, engineering, arts, and math to come up with a way to raise awareness and encourage the community to participate in a solution. A sculpture of Greenie the turtle made out of trash and a song about going green are the start of a communitywide movement to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Along the way, readers will learn lots about decomposition, how quickly garbage adds up, and ways to reduce trash. Ink-and-watercolor-wash illustrations help break up the text and put pictures in readers' heads that will stick with them, making them likely to want to get on the green bandwagon.

Though STEAM is not emphasized as much as it was in the first book, that's not a bad thing, as it helps readers to focus on Sydney and Simon's problem-solving, which they are likely to see as quite doable in their own communities.
-Kirkus Reviews

Sydney meets Greenie the sea turtle during a field trip to the aquarium. Greenie has been harmed by plastic waste that has made its way into the ocean. Sydney returns home and begins to track her family’s trash production. From there, she finds out, with the help of custodian Mr. Clutterbuck, that her school produces an enormous amount of waste. Her campaign inspires an original song as well as a series of major changes in waste management and recycling at the school. In the end, Greenie is ready to be returned to the ocean and Sydney and Simon pledge to help everyone “Go Green!” The highly approachable text is beautifully complemented by Reynolds’s artwork. VERDICT A well-constructed introduction to the dangers facing the environment from human carelessness.
-School Library Journal