One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia

One Plastic Bag tells the true story of Isatou Ceesay, a woman from Njau, Gambia, who watched plastic bags transform her beautiful community into a wasteland of pollution — killing goats, strangling gardens, and breeding mosquitoes — and decided to act. Teaching herself and the women around her to crochet plastic bags into purses, Ceesay started a recycling movement that cleaned up the environment and provided income for women who had none. Miranda Paul's lyrical, understated text is matched by Elizabeth Zunon's gorgeous mixed-media collages, which incorporate real plastic bags into their vibrant, earth-toned illustrations.

This is an inspiring choice for students because it shows that real, lasting change can begin with one person's ingenuity — and that the solution to a global environmental problem can start in a small village in West Africa.

Publishing Details

Author : Miranda Paul

Illustrator : Elizabeth Zunon

Author Nationality : United States

Physical Details

Type of Book: Picture

Cover: Hardcover

Pages: 32

Size: 9.1 x 10.2 inches

Year Published: 2015

Instructional Details

Reading Grade Level: 2nd

Genre: Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre: Biography

Theme: Environment, Women in History, Community, About POC, Social Issues