Mr. Roll's job is to hold toilet paper, and he's good at it. But when the paper is used up, does his usefulness also end? Mr. Roll is tossed into a recycling box, where he'll go become something else ybe even toilet paper! But before the box is sent off, a child reaches in and removes Mr. Roll and all the other tubes in the box, places them in a backpack, and carts them off to school. Through a system of "Cut, glue, stick, paint," Mr. Roll and his fellow tubes are turned into an entertaining marble game, and Mr. Roll is quite pleased to again serve a favorable purpose. The book ends with a section called "Where Does Our Trash Go?" that gives tips on how to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Also included are instructions for projects using toilet-paper rolls. The brightly colored cartoon illustrations reveal a toilet-paper tube with an expressive mustachioed face and easy-to-follow instructions for making the toys.

K-Gr 3 In a steadily growing canon, another picture book promoting reusing and recycling trash. In this one, Mr. Roll is a hard worker who enjoyed his job happily as "he turned and he churned, he reeled and he wheeled, until he got thinner." When he is thrown into a cardboard box with other recyclables, a seasoned paper towel roll tells him they'll be going to the recycling center where they'll be turned into toilet paper. Oh, dear, Mr. Roll knows what happens to toilet paper! Thankfully, a boy takes them both to school where there is a community project to turn recyclables into art, games, and toys. Mr. Roll has a new life not as trash, but as the little boy who saved him says, "treasure." The artwork is bright and detailed with spreads showing Mr. Roll's path and the people in his life. At the end of the book, there is an information page and diagram showing where trash goes, and the many options for Mr. Roll's journey. Instructions for making two crafts from recyclable materials are also included. VERDICT While there are many similar picture books about the importance of conservation, this one stands out through the personification of Mr. Roll and the relatable setting of a school's repurposing project during its Eco Week celebrations.Heidi Dechief