A Wirral-based author is gaining national recognition for a children’s book series designed to teach young readers about recycling through fun, engaging storytelling.
Andy Hickin, who writes under the pen name Walter Thomas, released his debut book Walter the Wheelie Bin & Friends to make learning about ecological responsibility memorable for children.
Since its release, the book has sold more than 800 copies and attracted industry backing for its environmental messages.
The story introduces a range of creative characters all with alliterative names, including, Gordon the Gardener and Brian the big brown brush, who help children understand what can and can’t be placed in their bins.
Hickin aims to embed positive environmental habits at an early age through humour, adventure and relatable characters.
At the heart of the series is a deeply personal story. Hickin revealed that the original idea for Walter the Wheelie Bin came from his father-in-law, Michael O’Neill, nearly 18 years ago.
He said: “During one of our weekly visits to my father-in-law, he was sorting out some papers and showed me a story that was typed up on a piece of A4 paper. After reading it, I looked at him with a smile saying, “This is good, can I develop it for you?”.
“His smile beamed back at me saying that it’s always been his dream to have Walter the Wheelie Bin published.”
After developing the idea and securing a local publisher, Hickin was able to present the first printed copy to his father-in-law.
“It was an emotional moment that will stay with me and my wife forever,” he said.
“Six weeks after the first book was published, at 89 years old he sadly passed away.”
Explaining how he balances education with entertainment, Hickin said: “Reading out loud the first draft idea and if I think it’s a good message to get across (recycling, litter picking, looking after our environment etc etc), I will then see about adding some humour to make the young readers smile and laugh at.”
Andy is also passionate about engaging directly with children through hands-on learning and regularly delivers interactive reading workshops in primary schools, Rainbows groups and at community events.
He said: “I encourage children to interact with the storytelling, so they remember it in a fun way. Getting volunteers involved brings the whole room to life and makes it more memorable.”
The success of Walter the Wheelie Bin & Friends and its refreshing take caught the attention of the British Aerosol Manufacturers Association (BAMA), which led to a collaboration on a second book in the series.
Mr Shufflebottom’s Garden Adventure focusses on educating children about recycling aerosol containers safely and responsibly.
Patrick Heskins, Chief Executive at BAMA, said: “Recycling is a key pillar of sustainability for our industry, but aerosol recycling is not well understood by adults. What better way to ensure that the message about the recyclability of aerosols gets through than to make sure children know about it?”
He continued: “There are many who think that aerosols aren’t recyclable and we need to get the message across that the empty aerosol package is an important resource which can easily be recovered and recycled. If, at an early age, people understand that its is safe, we would hope to see recycling rates improve.”
WD-40 later became involved through BAMA’s industry connections, allowing the brand to be featured in the book and endorsed on the cover.
With momentum building, Hickin is preparing to release a third book, Walter’s Football Match, which aims to encourage children to get outdoors, enjoy local spaces and care for their community.
The book features a collaboration with Tranmere Rovers Football Club, securing an endorsement that reflects Hickin’s strong local roots.
He said: “Living on the Wirral and a keen amateur footballer myself, after I had the idea for Walter’s Football Match, I thought that it would look great if like the first book, I could get an endorsement again on the books cover.
“This time I set about getting one of the Merseyside football clubs on board. I was told that once the book has been published, I could set up on a match day and sell the books to the young football fans.”
Featured image: Andy Hickin
