Dear Garbage Man

by Gene Zion, Margaret Bloy Graham (Illustrator)

Stan, the garbage man, tries to be helpful when he salvages articles from the day's collection.

Genres: Picture Books, Classics, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Born on October 5, in 1913, Gene Zion attended the New School of Social Research and the Pratt Institute. In 1948, he married artist Margaret Bloy Graham, who then collaborated with him on all his picture books. When their marriage ended in 1968, Zion also ended his career as an author. Zion is best known for his creation of the rascally dog, Harry, who appears in such books as HARRY THE DIRTY DOG and HARRY BY THE SEA. He died in 1975.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a world of consumerism, this is a nice introduction to repairing and recycling and encourages young readers to think outside the box in determining an item's usefulness. As much as we would like to hang on to all that we can in hopes of finding a use for it again someday, you have to take a hard look at what can truly be mended, repurposed, or recycled. Oftentimes trash is beat up, broken, and used up and has reached the end of its useful life. Great detailed pictures of all the treasures to be saved add an interesting seek and find element.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. A dissapointing conclusion to what would otherwise been a high rating book. Stan starts his new job as a bin man. On his first day he saves so many broken objects, piles them up on top of the bin lorry and then gives them away to people. I thought this was going go be a story about not throwing things away that could be repaired but the next day the objects get thrown out again because they were too damaged to repair. That was so disappointing, I thought he was going to open a second hand shop and the story would promote ideas of recycling. Sadly not.

Lovely illustrations and could have been a great book with a slightly different ending.

Read on open library.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book, and must address the other reviews here somewhat. You HAVE to look at this in the historical context of when this story was written. This book came out in the 1950's - when recycling was unheard of, and garbage was looked at as a good thing - a way to create new spaces to build and play. With that in mind, it's a decent book. On the other hand, there was that little bit of hope I had that this was a book before it's time - the idea of finding a new use for old things. I was disappointed that that wasn't the case in the end, and so dropped this back to three stars for that reason.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars for this quirky book! Ha, ha!

I’m not quite sure what to make of it! It certainly didn’t take the direction I was thinking it would, so the surprise was nice. I could see kids enjoying this one for sure… I’m just still wondering what the point was?!?😜

Graham is now in my favorites for illustrators - I love her style and charm so very much! Including this book!

Ages: 3 - 10

Cleanliness: a man smokes a cigar.

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This small children's book deals with a dream unfilled, a purposed dashed, and dealing with sometime harsh realities.

It's about a new garbage man who wants to save garbage (broken furniture, ruined bikes, cracked mirrors) and give it away to people who then will fix it. At first everything seems to be going as planned and all the people grab at his saved "treasures." But the next day, all those treasures are on the curb again for pick-up because they were truly garbage.

Okay illustrations.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many people struggle with a tendency to hoard. It's probably best to address this early.

[Sem · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which Stan discovers the perils of recycling...

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book more the more I read it. Sometimes junk is just junk, guys.

[Child960801 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a strange book. Stan is a brand-new garbage man, but he doesn't want to throw things out, he thinks that they can still be used, so he saves them and then gives them away to people. But the next day, everything is thrown out again, because it actually was garbage.

Why do his coworkers put up with this? Honestly, if a new hire came in and was like, actually, I will do the exact opposite of the job I was hired to do, I don't think they would last that long. Also, sometimes garbage is actually just garbage.

I'm not sure what the message they were trying to go with for this book was.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had run across this on my bookshelf, from my childhood. Published in 1957, it is VERY politically incorrect, environmentally, but it is a charming book. The pictures by Margaret Bloy Graham are humorous & expressive, and sweet natured Stan becomes a "real garbage man", instead of a potential hoarder. It might be fun to read to a child to spark a conversation about recycling and why it isn't best to "fill up lots of swamps".

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun book from 1957 that looks at a garbage man (sanitation engineer) who tries to recycle! This book was first published in 1957: it is the first book for children that I have ever read at this early date that addressed recycling! Even back then Gene Zion seemed to be aware of the need to repurpose the vast amount of things we were throwing away.

[Maddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very strange

[Brooke - TheBrookeList · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear and touching childhood favorite

[Diana Salazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This garbage man saw value in other people’s trash. The very next day, people threw it all away again. This sounds like a pack rat’s dream and a minimalist’s nightmare.

[Fiona Bentley-reber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a book of its time. The ending is not great.

[jenna Hudrlik · Rating 1 out of 5]

i thought this book was going to have a good message - that we throw away things that can be easily fixed - but no - it did not. in the end all the people still threw away all their stuff in hopes that their stuff will be burned and and the ash be used to put in a swamp in order to build a playland onto. bunk.

[Jj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the re-purposing and recycling message this book has going on... until the last few pages when it is all mercilessly undone. I would edit this story down a bit if I used it with a group and cut out the ending.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This did not end the way I expected.. I wasn't expecting Stan to decide to throw everything in the "chewer upper" at the end of the story...

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another one of our all-time favorites. A classic! Love Gene Zion.