El camión de papel

Gr 2—4—When a mysterious little man asks the mayor of Villasilla if he can take all of the town's paper away, the official scoffs and sends him off empty-handed. Uriel vows to get what he's come for, so he drives around at night in his vacuum truck, sucking up all kinds of discarded paper. The next day, the mayor finds the town sparkling clean, so he puts on his detective hat and goes about finding the super sweeper. Readers will find the story gets more complicated even before discovering that Uriel is not who he seems. Although not a chapter book, this story is good for beginning readers; it combines fantasy and mystery with whimsical mixed-media illustrations. While managing to stoke young readers' imaginations, it offers an important lesson on recycling in the process.—Shannon Dye, Peoria Public Library, AZ