2025 Riverby Award for Exceptional Nature Books for Young Readers
2025 Green Earth Book Award Honors – Children’s Book Primary
Children’s Book Committee The Best Children’s Books of the Year [2025 Edition]
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard
Children’s Book Council Neat, Nerdy & Noteworthy Nonfiction
2024 Blueberry Educator Resources
2024 Cybils Awards Nominee
Bookstagang Best of Picture Book Awards: Most Innovative Nonfiction Books of 2024
American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture Best Children’s Books About Farms 2025
Inside the Compost Bin
“The scoop on garden soil’s best friend, rich and comprehensive despite its brevity.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Through lyrical text filled with concrete processes and facts, readers will build and tend to a compost bin.
From creation of the “compost cake” to curing and, finally, using the compost, budding composters will discover what it takes to have a successful bin—as well as the plethora of benefits a compost bin can have to the surrounding environment. Master composter, Melody Sumaoang Plan, shows readers the physical, biological, and chemical processes involved and rich illustrations take them deep inside the murky bin. Robust back matter includes in-depth information on starting your own bin, compost “recipes,” and troubleshooting tips.
Request it from your local library, or purchase anywhere books are sold, including:
For Educators: Inside the Compost Bin Lesson Plans
Melody Sumaoang Plan 