A new picture book encouraging young readers to consider the environment and to reuse and recycle from the author of The Imperfect Garden.

What makes something a treasure? In Beautiful Junk a young boy's family is getting ready to move to their new home and leaving all of their "junk" on the curb. He soon discovers, however, that one person's junk can be another person's treasure. To his amazement, people go through the piles find use for many items that had been ready to go in to the garbage truck. Is it possible that even he could find a treasure from the pile?

This book is a follow-up to "The Imperfect Garden" and is keeping with the theme of environmentally friendly actions. Children can learn to value and re-imagine items to save them from the landfill. (From Red Deer Press)

Beautiful Junk is for ages 5-8

Melissa Assaly is a writer and an elementary school teacher from Toronto. Her previous books include The Imperfect Garden, illustrated by April dela Noche Milne.

Samantha Lucy Haslam is an animator, graphic designer and illustrator. She is based in Calgary.