Garbage is yummy-if you're a detritivore.A what? You know-one of those leftovers-eaters, like a dung beetle. They eat poop. Eeew! Maybe a vulture or a termite is more your thing. No-not a scavenger afficionado? Then you're definitely a fungiphile-a decomposer fan. Hey, garbage has to go somewhere; why not into a specialist's innards? Garbage would be covering the entire planet if these bio-friends didn't pick up the slack. There's one humungous problem, though. For the most part, they can break down only organic material. You know-decaying plants, food, and…bodies! So what happens to the inorganic trash? That's where people come in: We make it, and then we dump it. All over the place! It takes 1,000 years for a running shoe to decompose, and who has that kind of time? Barton tackles garbage with her familiar comic-book–style illustrations and speech bubbles. The two-way informative dialogue between chatty narrator and characters keeps the pace brisk, although it's missing some of the signature humor for which the author is appreciated. Four concluding pages are dedicated to inorganic waste solutions, but of the "reduce, reuse, recycle" triumvirate, the "reduce" element is given short shrift. And then it ends. Disappointingly, there is no backmatter listing resources, projects, and/or suggestions to reduce waste, which seems necessary for this critical topic. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Abrupt ending aside, this lively presentation on waste and where to put it will be much appreciated. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Gr 13 Young readers who are eager environmentalists will appreciate the information this book offers about nature's garbage collectors (scavengers, detritivores, and decomposers); the differences between organic and inorganic waste; and efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle items. This information is presented by "the voice of your friendly neighborhood narrator," with lots of colorful illustrations, speech bubbles with messages from some of nature's garbage collectors, flow diagrams, and a dose of humor. It is an appealing mix. While "I'm Trying to Love Garbage" (the book's title) is a dubious goal, "learning to act like someone who thinks more about garbage" (the book's conclusion) is more attainable. The book lacks traditional back matter, such as a bibliography and additional information, which would have been helpful in enticing readers to learn more about the topic. VERDICT This is an engaging introduction to really grasping and dealing with trash. Myra Zarnowski, City Univ. of New York