l to r: Erin Silver and Suharu Ogawa

All Consuming: Shop Smarter for the Planet by award-winning children’s author Erin Silver reminds us of the inconvenient truths of our modern, disposable society.

This new addition to the Orca Think series thoroughly investigates our questionable need for “retail therapy” with four chapters that unpack the perils of fast fashion, fast food, the latest tech devices, and gift-giving trends.

The book opens with a sober warning: “Buy now, the planet pays later.” We quickly see how our consumer culture creates a global hornet’s nest of problems: how our wants and needs drive sweatshops and child labour, how our demand for the latest cellphone contributes to e-waste chemicals seeping into our water and soil, and how well-meaning toys and gift cards create growing landfills.

While the big picture can feel grim, we’re also reminded that small changes can “make a huge impact on the environment one purchase at a time.” There’s practical advice on better alternatives such as shopping sustainably, making your technology last longer, and taking matters into your own hands by repairing appliances and toys. 

We also meet many inspiring youth activists who are helping to create a new normal. Silver (Just Watch Me!; Sitting Shiva; and What Kids Did: Stories of Kindness and Invention in the Time of COVID-19) spotlights the eco-heroics of entrepreneurs who have invented earth-friendly alternatives including upcycled odd socks for homeless shelters; reusable, stainless-steel takeout containers for restaurants; and soup-can candles that generate proceeds for food banks.

Illustrator Suharu Ogawa adds great energy to the book with expressive graphics and fun collage elements including an inspired table of contents presented as if on a paper receipt. Attentive readers will notice that photo cutlines offer both great details and calls to action, like little eco-Easter eggs.

Silver bravely calls out major corporations who are known wrongdoers and polluters, which should make young readers think twice about their brand loyalty. The author also shares first-person experiences throughout the book, such as her embarrassment when confronted by the Styrofoam mountain she created by ordering her favourite Japanese takeout.

All Consuming is a wake-up call for middle-grade and adult readers alike: an essential reminder to shop smarter for a better future.