Follow Your Stuff: Who Makes It, Where Does It Come From, How Does It Get to You?

by Kevin Sylvester, Michael Hlinka

Get ready to go global!

Our cellphones, our clothes, our All are everyday things we consider essential, but we seldom think of what and who is involved in making them and getting them into our hands. In Follow Your Stuff, award-winning children’s author Kevin Sylvester and business professor Michael Hlinka team up again, this time to tackle the dynamics of the global economy, examining the often-complex journey of ordinary goods from production right to our doorsteps.

Using familiar examples, easy-to-follow charts and graphs, and a fun, accessible tone, Hlinka and Sylvester introduce young readers to concepts such as relative value and fair wages and how to think critically about our purchasing decisions. Sylvester’s lively illustrations add even more kid-appeal making this sequel to the critically acclaimed Follow Your Money the perfect introduction to socio-economics and an eye-opening essential read for young people.

Genres: Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Science

100 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2021

About the author

KEVIN SYLVESTER is an award winning illustrator, writer and broadcaster.

His new sci-fi series MiNRs is now out from Simon and Schuster. MINRs was named a 2017 Honour Red Maple and Manitoba Reader's Honour book and a 2015 CLA Honour Book. MINRs2 is out. MINRs3 will be released in 2018.

His series The Neil Flambé Capers is already a bestseller and critical success. Students across Ontario picked 'Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders' as the Silver Birch winner for fiction in 2011!

There are 6 books in the series so far, Neil Flambé and the Duel in the Desert is the latest.

Super-chef Gordon Ramsay calls the series “Good Fun”.

Kevin also does picture books - "Super-Duper Monster Viewer" is out from Groundwood. GREAT (with the Gretzky family) is out from Penguin.

Kevin’s first picture book 'Splinters' was published in fall 2010 by Tundra. It’s about a young girl who only wants to play hockey, but the mean coach and her daughters won’t let her. Can her fairy goaltender come to the rescue?

Kevin non-fiction titles include Follow Your Money, Baseballogy, Basketballogoy, Sports Hall of Weird and Gold Medal for Weird.

Kevin has been a broadcaster on national radio in Canada for years and years and has covered eight Olympic Games. He also produced documentaries on topics ranging from racism in hockey to the history of church bells in Canada.

He now splits his time between his attic studio in Toronto and the radio. He was named a Massey Journalism Scholar in 2007 and used the time to study theology at the University of Toronto.

Reviews

[Amy Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can I just shove this book at adults?  The amount of people who don't know where their products come from (and can't even guess) and the amount of people who complain about shipping prices and wages and everything...it's astonishing.  I just want to hand them this and say, "Here.  Read about our precious resources.  Read about the world's precious people.  And tell me why you aren't willing to pay more for better wages?  For finding local or eco-friendly resources?"  

With illuminating illustrations and a fun narrative, this non-fiction book becomes an exploration of just what goes into the products we buy, from material, to shipping, to labor.  The author and illustrator also do a fantastic job of posing ethical questions to the readers, inviting them to critically think about the work that goes in to even the most basic of what we need to survive--like clothes.  

This is the perfect book to hand to your children to begin thinking critically about globalization.  You know all those articles that are like, "Hey, did you ever think about the women who made your 'This is what a feminist looks like' t-shirt and whether they get a fair wage after you purchase it from Forever 21 at 5 bucks a pop?"  This is like that, but for children.  Or the more serious adult nonfiction books that are like, "Hey, did you ever wonder whether the people working in the factories and cotton fields are even getting paid...at all?  And that maybe our materials are sourced from slavery?  Is it worth it?"  This is like that, but for children.  

Really, really important information, and an absolutely amazing, well-researched resource.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow Your Stuff is an informative book on not just where your stuff comes from but an overlook of the entire manufacturing and distribution process. The book looks at some specific items like your favorite tee shirt, an asthma inhaler, publishing a book, your cell phone, and a pair of prescription glasses. Sylvester and Hlinka walk you through the complete process and cost breakdown of each item.
It was super interesting for me to read about where my stuff comes from, giving me a better understanding and value to my things.
Thank you to Annick Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy, my opinions are my own.
LanaLCole@yahoo.com

[Kathleen Garber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow Your Stuff is the sequel to the Follow Your Money. Is this book, children can follow the path their items take from the raw materials to final sale in the stores. For example you can see the path your t-shirt takes from:

cotton (including the price for seeds, fertilizer, machinery and labour)
to creating cloth (dyes, chemicals etc)
to the logo being added (factory costs, ink, royalties)
transportation
the retail store (rent, wages, utilities, advertising etc.)

The book does it again for an asthma inhaler, this very book and a cell phone so you can see how much it takes to create a product.

The book is large but skinny and includes just enough information to get a child thinking. It’s designed for ages 11+.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow Your Stuff: Who Makes It, Where Does it Come From, How Does it Get to You?

By Kevin Sylvester and Michael Hlinka

Published by @annick_press

Thank you to @kidlitexchange and the authors for the free review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This nonfiction book will be fascinating to both MG and YA kids, as well as adults. It answers so many questions about our possessions; important questions you might never have wondered about before reading this book. The story is told in a fun, accessible way with lots of tables, graphs, and friendly illustrations. It really makes you want to continue reading and to learn more about our things. It includes an index, as well as suggestions for further reading and watching.

The story begins with the saga of a simple t-shirt that comes into our life. We quickly learn the journey to reach us isn’t easy or short. We learn about the carbon footprint of that one lonely shirt. Finally we learn about the large number of people required to make that shirt, and how little they earn for their labor.

Each chapter shares an equally interesting story about the objects in our everyday lives; things like cell phones, books and medicines that we simply go to the store and buy and take for granted; objects we never question will be available to us. This book helps us understand the true cost of obtaining these things.

I recommend this book be added to all elementary and middle school libraries. It is a great one to share in marketing and world studies classes.

[Michelle Mallette · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my full review here.
This Canadian nonfiction book helps tweens/teens grasp what goes into making their stuff, gain an appreciation for work value, and get a glimpse of how our global economy works and impacts our world. The focus is on the production and delivery of five things of interest to kids: a t-shirt with a band logo, a cellphone, eyeglasses, a medical puffer, and the book itself (including the e-edition). Using colourful illustrations, factboxes, topical questions, charts and accessible text, they take the reader through the entire production process. The authors raise some ethical questions, but don't quite delve into the ethics of what happens to our planet because of all that stuff. That would be a good next topic, I think!
My thanks to Annick Press for the digital reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Oatmealpowerup]

You bet your ass I started this year off reading a children's book, and it wasn't terrible. For as boring as the topic is, this was alright. Would I have fun reading this to a child? lol, of course I would. They casually mention horrible stuff in here that I'd love to start an open discussion with a kid with. From a deadly fire in a factory in Bangladesh that killed 100 people, to drug testing on animals, and then price ranges on drugs... exploring the sadistic parts of this topic would probably really help make the topic stick. One that cracked me up was when it mentioned that drug companies "over hype, or possibly even invent, health problems in order to sell meds to treat them" RIGHT NEXT to a picture of some kind of scientist or doctor in a wheel chair, the saddest part is I didn't get to turn to anybody and go "You think this guy really needs that wheel chair, or is he just lazy? You think this kind of guy would tell people they're sick when they're not? To sell you...drugs?"

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great for those who need or want to understand a little bit about the economy better. In fact, it is kind of like a brief MBA for kids. It covers various items and brings in the math/accounting aspect, economy, natural resources, health issues, human rights and lots more to make you really think about all the behind the scene things that happen in the industry.

When I went to a movie at the theater we waited to see all the credits for a bonus scene. A kid commented on how many people it takes to make a movie. This book is kind of like that. Only, it doesn't mention how the film equipment came to be or anything else that was involved before the filming of the current movie. It makes you think.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative text. Sylvester shares the back story on how/where/who creates various items. He takes the reader through the entire process in an easy to follow manner. The economic aspect is included so readers understand why items cost what they do. He also presents challenging questions to consider what type of consumer they will be.
He begins and ends with information on the global economy in part one. Part two is short and focused on the reader. Information for further research is provided at the end of the book.
Written in a style to appeal to middle grade readers - short snippets of data along with longer paragraphs of information.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book intrigued, irritated and enlightened! WHOA!
This would a really fun way to teach an Economics class. I took Economics in high school and Love it so much I took Macro Economics as a Freshman in College (not as much fun in college) and this
even for a Senior would have been informative and useful!

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice start. It brings the Cargo Cults to mind! I like books that take one from raw materials to finish products. Kids and YAs will be introduced to the global economy, as many products take many paths before appear on our shelves and racks. Very informative must read for curious minds.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Karen Maurer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lorts of global awareness, economics and math in this book.

[Matt Speer · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book for young learners… not bad but not sure how interested my nieces would be in such a book. Maybe, maybe not. Not sure.

[Kate Waggoner · Rating 4 out of 5]

@kidlitexchange #partner
Thank you to @kidlitexchange for the advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Follow Your Stuff: Who Makes It, Where Does It Come From, How Does it Get to You? by Kevin Sylvester and Michael Hlinka and published by @annick_press is scheduled to be released on April 19, 2019.

This is book is a great introduction for middle grade students about the global economy and where their stuff comes from. Specifically, the book covers items that middle grade readers are familiar with but probably have never questioned the origins of: a t-shirt, an inhaler, a book, a cellphone, and a pair of glasses. Each chapter focuses on a different item and breaks the costs down by examining where the resources come from, what people are used to create/extract/put together the resources, and what companies and stores do to ensure a profit and cover costs. The illustrations are fun, informative, and help enhance the reader's understanding. One of my favorite parts of the book are the sidebars with the big, blue question marks. These side bars pop up throughout the chapters and offer the reader an opportunity to start thinking more deeply about a specific issue/topic (like whether or not you would be willing to pay more for your t-shirt, if you knew the workers were being paid a decent wage). These deeper thinking opportunities would also be a great resource for teachers to use to generate a discussion.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and learning about where my stuff comes from. Today more than ever, we live in a super connected world. This book is a great way to get kids thinking about how we're all connected and what that means.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow Your Stuff: Who Makes It, Where Does It Come From, How Does It Get to You? by Kevin Sylvester and Michael Hlinka. PICTURE BOOK/NON-FICTION. Annick Press, 2019. $13. 9781773212531

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

This book walks the reader through the global economy and all the influences on a single purchase. The authors look at a shirt first and discuss where each material was made, where it was assembled, how much materials cost, and how the advertising and selling works. The book then walks through the process for medicine, a book, and a cell phone.

Students will find this book very interesting. I love that it brought up important issues related to consumption in a global economy, but did not answer those questions because of their ethical complexity. This leaves room for students to think, discuss, and perhaps write a persuasive paper about. The aesthetics in this book are lacking, but other than that, it is an engaging read.

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Karthika · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book should urge you to keep turning the pages. This is a great book.

I just hope the authors write more such non-fiction books.

[Alycia Canfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good book for maybe 7 or 8th and up. It asks you to think about how to make things or without drawing any conclusions it would like for you to deal with even harder issues such as human rights.