Washington, DC (BlackNews.com) - Like children everywhere, youngsters in Africa like to play with toy cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats and airplanes. But instead of buying them, they (or their parents) often make these model vehicles out of scraps of wire, wood, aluminum cans and inner tubes.

In Creative Recycling: Handmade in Africa (80 pages), Jude Andreasen & Cleve Overton have assembled 100 beautiful, full-color photographs of toy vehicles they collected while working and traveling in 22 African countries. The model vehicles range from rudimentary to ingenious in their construction. Among the highlights are an intricate wire motorcycle from South Africa, a fully-loaded Land Rover made of reeds from Lake Malawi (complete with an engine and movable parts), and an anatomically correct Harley motorcycle. The accompanying text provides intriguing insights into the world in which the creators of these delightful pieces live, such as the impact of the annual Paris-to-Dakar rally on children's imaginations and creativity, as well as its dangerous aspect for the desert's inhabitants and ecosystem.

With its unique focus on model vehicles made from natural or recycled materials, this book is an appealing addition to the popular literature on global folk art. Co-author Cleve Overton is an African American artist, potter, welder, and teacher. A sampling of some of his current work in mixed media collage can be seen at http://www.clevesart.com.

Creative Recycling (December 2004, 80 pages) is available in both soft ($27) and hard cover ($33) versions from Xlibris at http://www.xlibris.com, or by calling toll free (888) 795-4274. Additional photos of pieces in the collection can be viewed at http://www.africancraft.com

You can also order the book by going to http://www.afrikansistahsmarketplace.com