I read an interview with today’s Perfect Picture Book author on Writer’s Rumpus, and I had to read and review this fascinating and timely new picture book. Thankfully, I was able to access a digital review copy on Edelweiss.
Title: Once a Wasteland: From Toxic Dump to National Park
Written By: Diane Muldrow
Illustrated By: Amy Jindra Hodgson
Publisher/Date: Sleeping Bear Press/2026
Suitable for Ages: 6-7
Themes/Topics: toxic waste; nonfiction; environmental movement; Cuyahoga River; Ohio; history
Opening:
This is a story of a happy ending.
It begins in a valley in Ohio where the Cuyahoga River flows. It winds through open farmland, past ancient rock, deep into hushed forests.
Brief Synopsis: The story of the founding of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.
Links to Resources:
· Read the Author’s Note to learn more about the history of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the use of Superfund dollars to clean up toxic waste dumps;
· Visit, or virtually visit, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park;
· Plan some kid-friendly green activities for Earth Day 2026.
Why I Like this Book:
Who doesn’t love a book that makes it clear at the get go that there will be a happy ending. That happy ending begins, readers discover, millennia ago in the Cuyahoga River Valley of Ohio. I love how Muldrow starts in this unsullied place before introducing readers to the environmental nightmare that occurred after too much manufacturing in the region and too much toxic waste dumping. Having that image front of mind helps readers, I think, to visualize what might be and buoys us up as we read about the pollution that killed off the flora and fauna of this once-idyllic region.
Although Muldrow addresses a complex topic better suited to older children and although the timeline is atypically long for a picture book, I think Once a Wasteland is a wonderful picture book to read and discuss in classrooms and libraries as it explores a history that, sadly, is not over yet. But as Earth Day approaches, let’s celebrate this win for people and nature.
From the many creatures that adorn the end papers to the broad views and detailed close ups included in the illustrations, Hodgson shows readers the evolution of the Cuyahoga Valley, from natural space to toxic dump to vibrant park.
A Note about Craft:
Muldrow and Hodgson root readers in a particular place to show its evolution. Using such simple phrases as “This was the place…” and “This is the place…” and detailed images, including a map, the pair chronicle the valley’s changes across a vast amount of time.
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!
Wander, Ponder, Write 