King of the Dump

Written by Tim Wynne-Jones

Illustrated by Scot Ritchie

Groundwood Books

978-1-77306-748-3

32 pp.

Ages 3–6

August 2025

 

In Tim Wynne-Jones's newest picture book, illustrated by Scot Ritchie, a father-son visit to the dump becomes a lesson in recycling and donation and looking beyond the self.

From King of the Dump, written by Tim Wynne-Jones, illustrated by Scot Ritchie

Teddy and his dad are heading to the dump with multiple loads of recycling and some extra stuff, like Teddy's old foot-to-floor ride-on doggie. Teddy isn't sure he wants to give up on this toy, even though he is far too big to ride on the little dog toy. But, once they get to the waste management center, there's lots to do and much to recycle. 

From King of the Dump, written by Tim Wynne-Jones, illustrated by Scot Ritchie

First they head to recycle their metal cans and such. When Teddy spots an errant plastic bottle in the bin, Gord, one of the operations staff, lets Teddy use his grabber tool to pick it out and place it in the correct bin. Next comes a visit to the mixed paper bin where Teddy finds himself chasing flying paper to return to the bin. He also gets to watch the contents of various bins get compacted so they don't take up so much space. Finally, they visit the "As Is" area where Teddy can donate his ride-on dog. He has a hard time parting with the yellow-saddled red dog but a gift of a crown from the coordinator and seeing the joy his old friend gives to a young child is enough to make Teddy change his mind.

 

I'm sure many children remember regular outings with a parent to run errands, which the adults might think of as routine and mundane, but children find the magic within. Whether it's a trip to the local dump—sorry, waste management center—or the hardware store or a local bakery, kids will remember something about how it made them feel. (Readers of my age will undoubtedly remember visits to the local Canadian Tire for car stuff or the hardware store to paw through bins of screws or nails.) While many would not see the fascination kids might experience at a dump, the time spent alone with a parent is already special, and the activity of sorting is not dissimilar from the first task learned. Though it has been awhile since author Tim Wynne-Jones has given us a picture book—he has been very busy with middle-grade and young adult fiction like Blink and Caution and The Starlight Claim—he hasn't lost the touch that earned him the Ruth Schwartz award in 1983 for Zoom at Sea. As with Zoom, Teddy finds adventure in the ordinary. Though many children are bombarded with tools for play nowadays, from iPads to video games and a variety of apps, most know how to create fun and adventures from very little. Chasing paper that has escaped the recycling bin or using a trash picker tool to extract a misplaced plastic bottle or watching the compactors or the dump trucks all entertain Teddy. He finds amusement where the adults only see labour or chores.

From King of the Dump, written by Tim Wynne-Jones, illustrated by Scot Ritchie

But Tim Wynne-Jones doesn't just show us the pleasure children can get in the mundane. He also demonstrates that kids can see beyond themselves. I'm sure there are many parents who would just have given in to Teddy and let him keep his old toy, giving in to his fear for losing a beloved toy. It's not unusual to hold on to that which holds wonderful memories. But Teddy's dad and even the lady in the "As Is" area know that moving on, perhaps with a new play crown or by seeing someone else enjoy the toy, can be a big step, albeit a seemingly unthinkable one.

Getting Vancouver's Scot Ritchie to illustrate King of the Dump works so well. Perhaps it's Scot Ritchie's use of pen that gives his lines and shapes movement that is both methodical and purposeful. Sometimes there's flurry of activity, as when Teddy chases paper, or just intense observation of all the goings-on. Scot Richie gives Teddy and his dad and the waste management center the appropriate energy of activity, of pleasure, of work, and of emotion. (Yes, there is emotion. Just look at Teddy's face as his dad carries the beloved toy away.)

From King of the Dump, written by Tim Wynne-Jones, illustrated by Scot Ritchie

Tim Wynne-Jones's dedication to "Felix, the original King of the Dump" suggests a very personal connection to this story, and I wonder if the bearded father could be Tim Wynne-Jones himself. Even if it isn't, King of the Dump remains a personal story of something special coming from the ordinary. It's a father and son spending time together with subtle lessons in unselfishness that suggest that doing good for the environment and others does not have to be a big deal.

Jacinta's Orderly World

Written by Margaret Sullivan

Illustrated by Scot Ritchie 

Plumleaf Press

978-1-73889827-5

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

May 2024

 

We  all like to have our things where can find them. For some, like Jacinta, having routines and things in order makes all the difference to having her day so smoothly. But then she meets someone who does things a little differently and still makes it work for them.

From Jacinta's Orderly World, written by Margaret Sullivan, illus. by Scot Ritchie

Jacinta likes order in her life, whether it's how her socks are organized in a drawer or using an egg carton to house her 12 most special rocks. (She's also very good at repurposing objects.) That control over what she does and how she does it brings her contentment. But outside of her control, things are always different and sometimes difficult.

From Jacinta's Orderly World, written by Margaret Sullivan, illus. by Scot Ritchie

Jacinta finds it stressful when her grandmother comes over to babysit and throws off Jacinta's order. Doesn't Grandma Nancy know that the cereal and cookie boxes are organized according to the colour spectrum ROY G BIV? And what is she supposed to do with the new stuff Grandma Nancy brings that don't fit in to her organization scheme?

From Jacinta's Orderly World, written by Margaret Sullivan, illus. by Scot Ritchie

But a trip to Kenny's garage to pick up their car gives Jacinta a new perspective. Without knowing it, she finds the beauty of her order in the chaos outside of her home. Whether it's the rainbow she discovers in spilled oil or a tiny mouse that resides in Kenny's garage, Jacinta finds that she can appreciate that which initially seems disorganized.

 

Margaret Sullivan, a poet and writer from Salt Spring Island, shares her experiences of seeking comfort in organizing her room via Jacinta whose own quest for order gives her satisfaction. Growing up in a military family who often moved locations, Margaret Sullivan found stability in the organization of her own space. Most young children feel a lack of control in their lives, having their activities from eating to sleeping, learning and play dictated by the adults in their lives so for Jacinta to be able to exercise some level of authority over her surroundings is important.  But, while Margaret Sullivan could have made Jacinta an anxious child, she made her one who appreciates order but could see beyond that which appears disorganized. She gives us a character that is multi-dimensional, who knows what she likes and how to get it but is open to others who may want something different.

From Jacinta's Orderly World, written by Margaret Sullivan, illus. by Scot Ritchie

Scot Ritchie's illustrations depict both the order and the chaos effectively and with kindness. His art shows the complexity of colour in our lives but also that it's up to us how we live with all that colour. He makes sure we don't see Jacinta's life as anything less than full. She doesn't live in a world of black and white, or even grays. Her life has everything she needs and likes and she still is able to look beyond herself. Her openness to new experiences and to the needs of others demonstrates that the richness of her life reaches beyond herself.

I like Jacinta. She's a cool kid. I like how she organizes and repurposes objects and how she opens her heart. She could have closed herself off to protect herself from that which might disturb her but, from her grandmother and mishaps and meeting Kenny, Jacinta takes it all in stride to find a way to cope. In fact, she does better than cope. She finds a way to appreciate them all. Life can be jumbled but Jacinta shows us that there is a way to see within and beyond and give it an order that works for us.

Outside In

by Sarah Ellis

Groundwood Books

978-1-55498-367-4

208 pp.

Ages 10-13

For release May 2014

It's very reassuring to feel part of something–a family, a group of friends, a choir–and to be appreciated by the others.  Though thirteen-year-old Lynn is hardly part of a "typical" family, she has enjoyed the parental love of and stable home of her mother's boyfriend, Clive, for the past five years.  And with a mother like Shakti, Lynn's life hardly felt stable.  Shakti's self-absorption and twisted decision-making skills continue to wreak havoc in Lynn's life.  Take her recent affair with Brandon, the husband of a nurse at the extended care facility at which Shakti works.  Not only does Shakti put her relationship with Clive in jeopardy, she's oblivious to the real possibility of losing their home in Clive's townhouse and she's not willing to give Brandon up.  Then Lynn's mother quits her job because

"...it was a good opportunity because Shakti felt that it was time for a realignment of her energies and a reevaluation of her skills." (pg. 23)

Luckily, Lynn has got some exceptional friends in Celia and Kas and the three are looking forward to attending a choirfest in Portland, Oregon, giving Lynn a chance to extricate herself from an uncomfortable situation, at least temporarily.  But that doesn't happen either, because Shakti had forgotten to send away Lynn's passport application, as promised, too busy with her own dramas.

No Clive, no friends, no choir, and just her mother.  Lynn is ripe for finding something, anything, to keep her occupied while her friends are away.  She begins spending time with a girl named Blossom whose unusual nature intrigues Lynn.  Blossom admits that she is an Underlander and lives with her father Fossick and brothers, Tron (17) and Larch, in a cottage they've constructed and hidden beneath the reservoir.  The family is definitely different:  avoiding attention, using invisibility mugs, setting idea Traplines, and differentiating between steals and finds, and throwaways or keepsakes.  Lynn becomes "the visitor" at their home, promising that she will always keep it secret for them.

While Lynn is anticipating the collision of her old friends and new friends, the greatest threat to the familial goodwill she is enjoying with Blossom is Shakti.  And the resulting implosion is inevitable and devastating.

Sarah Ellis' writing has always juxtaposed the tenuous nature of family with its strength.  There's The Baby Project (Groundwood, 1986), Pick-Up Sticks (Groundwood, 1991) and Odd Man Out (Groundwood, 2006).  In Outside In, Sarah Ellis illustrates the fragility of our worlds and our families, both traditional and not, when secrets are kept, promises broken and new beliefs or ideas introduced.  Fossick has devised an alternative lifestyle for himself, Tron, Blossom and Larch, with their version of family functional as long as they all support and work towards its success.  While Lynn sees them as refreshing, their family is also in jeopardy when outsiders bring in new ideas or family members want to explore the outside world.

Bringing the outside in can be dangerous, as Fossick fears, and the disaster experienced because they trusted Lynn would bear witness to the validity of that view.  Lynn's own "family" knows that conundrum of letting someone from outside in with Shakti's involvement with Brandon.  But Sarah Ellis makes it clear that it's not that simple.  Whether it's Lynn appropriating some of Fossick and Blossom's views, or Larch venturing outside when he'd rather not, the outside and inside of anything are never clearly defined as good or bad.  Having witnessed this herself, Lynn could only hope that Shakti would embrace this learning herself.  But the imperfect family is a reality.  Sadly, I believe that Shakti has a lot more growing up to do if her selfish insideness is ever to be open to the goodness that Lynn and the world has to offer.