King of the Dump

In a story about the thrill of going to the dump, King of the Dump by Tim Wynne-Jones and Scot Ritchie readers will learn a little more about waste management.

Teddy and his dad are headed to the dump. Teddy has outgrown an old toy and it’s time to let it go. When they arrive, Teddy is thrilled by all of the sights and sounds of the dump. Not only is there garbage, but different types of recycling and a very special place called the As-Is building.

Tim Wynne-Jones has captured something very special about childhood, the thrill of seeing things for the first time even when doing the mundane. I recall heading to the dump as a child with my family, the Moody Blues on the radio, going to get rid of all the family waste before we had regular garbage collection. In this story, readers are able to see the ways in which their waste is dealt with. Teddy gets to see all the ways that different materials are sorted, how things are moved and crushed to make room, how things are packed together to be turned into other things. Teddy also gets to go to the As-Is building to see how things can be repurposed and reused. 

I love that this book is a graphic picture book, hovering somewhere between wordless gem and comic book. The text is conveyed through speech bubbles and the big spreads of illustrations continue the story of the dump so readers can read with multiple senses.

Beyond the thrill of the sights and sounds of the garbage dump, readers can learn more about the amount of waste we produce and the different ways that they can help reduce the burden on the garbage dumps through recycling programs and donation programs .

Scot Ritchie’s illustrations are colourful and cheerful. Readers are totally immersed in the sights and sounds of the garbage dump. I felt like I was back there, as a kid, at the dump with my dad. I could smell the smells and hear the sounds of the heavy machinery doing their work!