Based on true events from 1987, this story follows a barge carrying over 3,000 tons of garbage from Islip, New York, as it is refused entry up and down the East Coast and even internationally. The book cleverly recounts this bizarre episode of environmental mismanagement and turns it into an engaging tale with humor, heart, and startlingly unique illustrations—sculpted from found objects and junk. As the garbage barge is turned away again and again, readers are invited to reflect on a critical question: What happens to our waste when we throw it away?